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ROYAL    GORGE. 


THE   OPINIONS 


OF 


THE  JUDGE  AND  THE  COLONEL 


AS  TO 


THE  VAST  RESOURCES  OF  COLORADO 


THE   MANY  ADVANTAGES  WHICH    IT    OFFERS    TO    THE    RICH    AND    POOR,   ITS 

ATTRACTIONS  FOR  PLEASURE  SEEKERS  AND  INVALIDS  IN  ITS  CLIMATE. 

HEALTH    RESORTS  AND    PLEASURE    GROUNDS,   THE  WEALTH 

OF    ITS    MOUNTAINS    AND    THE    FERTILITY    OF    ITS 

VALLEYS 


PUBLISHED   I'.Y   T1IK   PASSENGER  DEPARTMENT 

OF  T11K 

DENVER   .t   RIO  GRANDE  R.  R. 


Fifth  Edition.  Oni   Hundred  ind  Twenty-Fifth  Im-h-ivh, 


COPYRIGHTED    BY 

S.  K.  HOOPER.  Gen'i.  Pabp.  and  Ticket  Agent 

1899. 


COPIES   OF   THIS    BOOK 


WILL  BE  SENT  FREE  ON   APPLICATION   TO  ANY  OF  THE 

OFFICIALS  OF  THE  DENVER  &  RIO  GRANDE 

RAILROAD  X  \M1.D  BELOW. 


E.  T.  Jeffery,  President  and  General  Manager,  .  .  .  Denver 

A.  S.  Hughes,  Traffic  Manager,  .  .  P 
H.  E.  Tiy:tE)i,  v"e  i                                                                     Broi 

J.  W.  Slosson,  General  Agent,  .  .  No.  236  Clark  St.,  Chicago 

F.  B.'LV.-'.i  '  ':  [ft,  .  "- .*  ,\ic2.  X.  jili  St*  St.  I  .'.ins.  Mu 
H.  V.  LireSTEftf'Ttavfeftng  lJas*,.  nget  Agen'f,'3i5'N\  Y.  Life'Bldg.,  Kansas'  City 
W.  H.  Cundey,  Traveling  Passenger  Agent,  ....  Denver 
W.  J.  Shotwell,  General  Agent,  .  .  126  California  St.,  San  Francisco 
R.  C.  NlCHOL,  General  Agent,        .           .        251  Washington  St.,  Portland,  Ore. 

B.  F.  Xi.vins.  fieneral  Agent,  .  109  West  Second  South  St.,  Salt  Lake  City 
H.  M.  CUSHING,  Trav.  I'assenger  Agt.,  109  West  Second  South  St.,  Salt  Lake  City 
T.  E.  Swann,  Ass't  General  Passenger  and  Ticket  Agent,     .  Denver 

nger  and  Ticket  Agent,       .  .  I  >■ 


V\7      • 


WHAT  THESE  GENTLEMEN  TALKED   ABOUT. 

"Perhaps  a  Passing  Mention." 


'." — •  ~~i=zr 


Anthracite  Coal, 
Antlers  Hotel,    . 
Architecture  in  Denv 
A  Model  "  Lunch  Ro 

Area  of  Colorado,  . 

Agricultural  Lands, 

Alamosa, 

Alamosa  Branch,     . 

Alfalfa, 

Apples, 

Arkansas  Valley,     . 

Animas  Cation, 

"Around  the  Circle," 

Air  Brakes 

Altitude, 

Asnen, 

Assayer's  Supplies, 

Artesian  Wells, 

Barley, 

Bath  House  at  Glenwood  Springs 

Beer, 

Book  Cliffs 

Breakfast  at  "Minturn," 
Brick,  . 

Broadmoor,         .... 
Brown's  Cafiou, 

Buena  Vista 

Building  and  other  Stone, 
Buruham,  .... 

Canned  Goods,  Crackers  and  Cigam 
Cafiou  City,        .... 
Carton  of  the  Grand  River, 

Cattle 

Cement, 

Character  of  the  People,  . 

Charcoal, 

Chain  of  Parks, 


PAGE 

24 
20 
11 
1G 
24 


PAGE 

Chemical  Works,       .  .       .  31 

Cheyenne  Mountain 19 

Churches,   ....  27 

Clay, 25 

Cliff  Dwellings, 43 

Coal,  24,  64 

Coke,  24 

"Collegiate  Mountain  Range,"        .        .  53 

Colorado's  Climate, 12 

Colorado's  Climate  vs.  Switzerland's,  .  13 
Colorado's  Mineral  Wealth,  .     25,64 

Colorado's  vs.  Switzerland's  Scenery,     .  62 

Colorado  Springs 20 

Colorado  Flour 36 

Colorado  Fruit, 38,  64 

Copper 25,  64 

Cotton  Mills  of  Denver,    .  .        .31 

Cottonwood  Springs,         .        .        .        .52 

Creede, 33 

Cripple  Creek, 41 

Dairy  Farming, 39 

Deceiving  Distances,  .  .  .  .17 
Delta  County  Fruit  Lands,       .        .        .39 

Denver  as  a  City, 14 

Denver  a  Poor  Market  for  Sleighs,  .  .  12 
Denver  Business  Men,  .  .  .  .15 
Denver  Cluli  Houses,  .         .         .         .14 

Denver's  Daily  Papers 27 

D.  .v  R.  (i.  Hospital 47 

Dining  Stations, 29 

Durango, 49 

Eagle  River  Canon, 57 

Educational  Advantages,  .  .  .27 
Effect  of  Altitude  at  Leadville,       .        .  56 

Fifty  New  Goid  Camps 23 

Fire-brick, 31 

Fishing 57 


£36i  > 


5 


PAGE 

Florence, 40 

Florence  &  Cripple  Creek  Railroad,       .  -11 

Fort  Logan, 13 

Foundries, 31 

Fruii  Growing, 38 

Game  Laws 59 

Garden  of  the  Gods,  .        .        .        .10 

Glass  Works  of  Colorado  City,         .        .  "S2 
Gillman,      .         .        .         .        .        .        .  ■">; 

Glen  Park, 16 

Grades  in  the  Mountains,  .        .55 

Grand  River  Valley,  .        .        .        .61 

Grand  Junction, 62 

Granite  Placers  Mines,      .       .       .       .54 

Glenwood  Springs, 61 

Glenwood  springs  Pool 60 

Gold,  How  extracted  from  the  Ores,        .  23 
Gold,  How  much  to  the  Ton,    .  .23 

Gold,  New  Discoveries,      .        .         .     L':i,  61 

Gold,  Old  Camps, 22 

Gold,  What  Ore  will  Pay  to  Work,   .       .23 

Goose  Creek 49 

Great  Divide 27 

Hanging  Bridge 44 

Hay, 52 

Hog-raising, 46 

Hops, 36 

Hotel  Monte  Cristo 47 

Hotel  Colorado, 60 

Hotels  of  Denver 14 

Hunting  Grounds  for  Big  Game,      .        .  59 

Iron, 24,  64 

Iron  Manufactories,  .        .        .        .30 

Iron  Ore, 24 

Iron,  Where  Found,  .        .        .        .24 

Irrigation  in  a  Buffet  Car,  .        .21 

Irrigation  Ditches, 37 

Irrigation,  the  Advantages  of,  .37 

Irrigation,  the  Cost  of,       .        .        .        .37 
Irrigation,  the  Ownership  of  (Ditches),  .  3^ 

Kaolin, 25 

Lake  City, 49 

Lakes  of  the  Mountains j(; 

La  Plata  Mining  District,  .        .        .51 

Lava  Beds  on  the  Grand  River,        .        .  59 

Lead, 23,  64 

Lead  Mining, 23 

Leadville,  the  Carbonate  Camp,       .        .  51; 
Leadville,  the  Gold  Discoveries  of,         .  50 

Lime, 11; 

Lime  Kock, 41; 

Lung  Diseases,  ...  ■       •  13 


On  to  Utah  and  California, 
Onyx 


PAGE 

Manitou  Waters, 19 

Manitou,  "  The  Saratoga  of  the  West,"  .  19 
Manitou  &  Pike's  Peak  R.  R.    .        .        .17 

Marble, 25 

Manufactories  of  Colorado,  .  .  .32 
Mesa  County  Fruit  Lands,  .  .  .39 
Mild  Winters  of  Colorado,  .  .  .12 
Mileage  of  the  "  D.  &  R.  G."   .       .       .51 

Mineral  Palace, 30 

Mining  Shafts  in  the  Cliffs,       .        .        .57 

Mineral  Springs, 61 

Model  Bath  House, 60 

Montezuma  Valley, 35 

Montrose  County  Fruit  Lands,  .  .39 
Monument,  the  Potato  District,  .  .  16 
Mount  of  the  "Holy  Cross,"    .        .        .57 

Mount  Ouray, 47 

Mount  Shavano, 47 

Narrow  Gauge  System,      .        .        .        .49 

Natural  Gas, 41 

Newspapers 27 

No  Delay  of  Trains,  account  of  Snow,  .  12 

Oats 36 

.  62 
.  25 
.  23 
.  40 
.  51 
.  31 
.  16 
.  31 
.  39 
.  17 
.  13 
.  17 
.  53 
.  54 
.  35 
.  25 
36,  61 
.  16 
.  39 

•  40 

•  28 
.  30 

•  28 
.  51 

•  15 

•  57 

•  41 

•  15 

•  15 


Ore,  Smelting  of, 

Oil  Fields,   ..... 

Ouray,  "The  Beautiful," 

Packing  Houses, 

Palmer  Lake, 

Paper  Mills  of  Denver, 

Peach  Culture, 

"  Teach  Day,"     . 

Physicians  Recommend  Colorado, 

Pike's  Peak, 

Pintsch  Gas, 

Placer  Mines  at  Granite,    . 

Population  of  San  Luis  Valley, 

Population  of  the  State,   . 

Potatoes,      .... 

"  Potato  Bakes," 

Poultry  Farming, 

Prices  of  Lands, 

Property  Valuation, 

Pueblo  and  its  Industries, 

Pueblo  Depot,     . 

"  Rainbow  Route/'    . 

Real  Estate  in  Denver, 

Red  Cliff,    .... 

Reduction  Works  at  Florence, 

Rents  in  Denver, 

Residences  of  Denver, 


PAOE 

Rio  Grande  Southern  Railway, 

.    19 

Rio  l  frande  \\  estern  Railway, 

62 

Rolling  Mills,     .... 

31 

Round  Bouses  of  the  "D.  &  R.  <:..' 

17 

Royal  Gorge,       .... 

II 

Salida,       ..... 

18 

II 

Bangre  de  Cristo  Range,   . 

■17 

San  Luis  Valley, 

83 

Scenery  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 

61 

School  Houses, 

•  •-- 

Sheep  Raising,   . 

l."» 

Silver, 

Silver  Circuit.     . 

•>~ 

Silver  Still  Lives. 

22 

Silverton.    . 

51 

SHverton  Railroad,   . 

51 

Sleeping  cars  into  Cripple  deck. 

11 

Small  Farming, 

:?:> 

Small  Fruits, 

33 

Smelters, 

30 

12 

Spanish  Peaks, 

28 

Sportsman's  Paradise, 

57 

State  Debt. 

28 

II 

Stop-Over  Tickets, 

Street  <  lar  System  of  Denver, 

Sugar,  Beet, 

Tennessee  Pass, 

Telephone  System,    . 

Trans-Continental  Line 

Thai   "l'hird  ■•  Rail, 

Trains  Run  Smooth, 

Track,  Road  Bed  and  Bridges, 

Tillable  Lands, 

Timber  and  Timhei   L 

Toll  lioad. 

Towns  of  the  San  Luis 

Trinidad 

Trinidad  Branch, 

Trout  Fishing,  . 

Utah,  Resources  and  Beaut ie 

Ute  Reservation, 

Veta  Pass,  .... 

\\  agon  Wheel  Gap,    . 

Water-melon  Day, 

Water  Power. 

Whal  Will  Grow  at  this  Alu'tu 

Wheat, 

Wool. 

Wolhurst,    . 

White  Lead  Works,    . 


de, 


CA'.E 

.  M 
.  32 

.  46 
.  57 
.  32 
.  48 

.  48 
.  55 
.  55 
.  35 
.  4-> 
.  51 

.  :i5 
.  33 
.  32 
.  59 
.  03 
.  35 
.  32 
.  33 
.  16 
.  53 
.  35 
.  36 
.  45 
.  13 
.  31 


1  v 
J       . 


^Jp|]Q 


THIS  BOOK 

is 

DEDICATED 

TO 

THE  PIONEERS  OF  COLORADO 

TO  THEIR  DESCENDANTS 

AND  ALL  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  EMULATED  THEIR  EXAMPLE 

THUS  ESTABLISHING,   MAINTAINING    AND  UPBUILDING 

THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THIS 

GREAT  COMMONWEALTH 


Xmte.— Space  will  only  admit  of  brief  mention  of  the  many  subjects 
referred  to,  but  full  and  complete  information  on  any  of  the  subjects  can 
be  obtained  upon  application  to  Mr.  S.  K.  Hooper,  General  Passenger 
Agent  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  Denver. 


'      I 


PREFACE 


HIS  BOOK  is  a  condensed  report  of  actual  conversa- 
tions, with  the  added  value  that  every  fact  stated 
herein  lias  been  carefully  verified  by  a  comparison 
with  the  latest  official  statistics.  No  attempt  has 
been  made  to  give  a  highly  colored  narrative,  the 
facts  being  of  sufficienl  interest  to  challenge  attention,  with- 
out the  aid  of  literary  einhellishni  nts.  The  reader  can  con- 
fidently rely  on  these  statements,  and  with  the  hope  thai 
through  its  perusal  many  will  be  enabled  to  better  their 
condition,  either  physically,  financially,  or  in  both  regards, 
this  book  is  faithfully  submitted. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  JUDGE  AND  THE  MAJOR. 


YH£  PAYAFFK  CAKOSTms 


T  WAS  a  typical    Colorado 

day.     The  moderate  snows 

of    Christinas    night   had 

melted  away  ill  the  glowing 

morning  sun ;  the  skies  were 
clear  and  blue,  and  the  pure,  balmy 
air  was  bracing  and  delightful.  The 
mountains  to  the  west  were  white  with 
eternal  snow,  but  the  city  of  Denver 
lay  basking  in  the  genial  warmth,  sug- 
gestive of  a  bright  spring  in  the  East.  At  the  Union  Depot  the  newsboys 
were  crying  the  morning  papers;  uniformed  trainmen  hurried  through 
the  busy,  shifting  crowd  ;  the  tireless  gateman  politely  made  reply  to  the 
hundreds  of  questions  put  to  him ;  the  loaded  trucks  rattled  along  with 
mail  and  baggage,  and  the  west-bound  trains  were  "maMng-up"  for  their 
long  journeys  toward  the  Betting  sun.  and  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the 
••  Bock  Island."  '•  Burlington*'  and  Union  Pacific  trains  from  the  east. 

Judge  Stark  entered  the  depot,  and.  as  the  conductor  called  out  "AH 
aboard,"  walked  hurriedly  to  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  train,  ready  to 
start  on  its  journey  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  boarded  the  through  San 
Francisco  sleeper.  Upon  entering  the  "  smoking  apartment,"  the  Judge's 
eye  met  the  florid  countenance  of  Major  Preston,  who  was  seated  beside 
the  open  window,  through  which  he  was  intently  surveying  the  scenes 

outside. 

The  Judge  seated  himself  opposite  the  Major,  who  was  too  absorbed  in 
thought  to  observe  his  entrance. 

''Hello,  Major:  what  are  you  thinking  of,"  said  the  Judge,  after  a 
moment's  silence.     The  Major  looked  up  surprised  at  this  interruption. 


12 

but  recognizing  the  Judge,  cordially  shook  his  hand,  and  replied,  as  the 
train  moved  quietly  out  of  the  station  : 

"Well,  Judge,  I  was  thinking  of  this  beautiful  weather  you  have  here. 
1  cam.'  from  the  Hast  ten  days  ago,  and  found  it  very  raw  and  cold  every- 
where  I  went.  The  biting  winds  gave  me  a  touch  of  the  'Grippe,'  but  I 
had  not  been  in  Colorado  more  than  three  days  before  I  was  all  right 
again.  This  climate  is  certainly  delightful,  and  very  surprising  to  me.  I 
had  an  idea  that  your  winters  were  more  severe.  Is  this  a  sample  of 
your  winter  weather?" 

••Yes.  Major.  This  is  a  fair  sample.  We  boast  of  three  hundred  and 
forty-eight  sunshiny  days  in  an  average  year." 

"Why,  it  was  really  warm  this  morning.  I  walked  down  from  the 
hotel,  and  found  that  my  overcoat  was  actually  burdensome,  and  yet  it  is 
the  middle  of  winter." 

"  Oh,  such  weather  is  quite  common  during  the  greater  part  of  our 
winter,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  day  for  more  than  half  the  season  we 
seldom  have  use  for  overcoats;  in  fact,  our  winters  are  very  mild,  as  a 
rule,  and  this  is  not  an  extraordinary  day  for  Colorado." 

"  But  you  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  never  have  any  colder  weather 
than  this?" 

"Not  at  all,  sometimes  it  is  quite  cold  in  the  mornings  and  evenings, 
but  we  always  have  warm  sunshine  during  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  it 
is  very  seldom,  indeed,  that  the  thermometer  (in  what  we  term  the  valley 
towns)  ever  falls  below  zero,  and  then  only  during  the  night  or  early 
part  of  the  day,  and  for  a  short  season  during  the  winter,  usually  about 
two  or  three  weeks  in  January." 

••Well,  isn't  there  a  great  deal  of  snow?" 

"On  the  contrary,  Ave  have  very  little,  except  in  the  mountains;  occa- 
sionally snow  falls  in  the  valley,  but  the  warm  sun  usually  melts  it  away 
within  a  few  hours.  Denver  is  a  poor  market  for  sleighs ;  we  have  had 
good  sleighing  in  Denver  only  three  times  in  the  last  fifteen  years.  Why, 
we  actually  have  to  sprinkle  the  streets  in  the  winter.  What  snow  we 
ha\  >•,  you  understand,  usually  comes  in  the  early  spring." 

"But  the  snow  in  the  mountains  must  interfere  with  your  railroad 
lines?" 

"On  the  contrary,  the  main  line  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  which 
i-  strictly  a  mountain  road,  suffers  less  from  snow  blockades  than  the 
more  exposed  roads  of  the  east,  or  in  fact,  those  that  are  known  as  the 
•southern  lines.'  The  exposed  places  are  amply  protected,  ami  the  trains 
run  upon  schedule  time  in  winter  as  in  summer.  Some  of  the  unimport- 
ant branch  line-  are  troubled  slightly  in  the  spring,  but  I  am  informed  by 
an  official  of  the  road,  that  there  has  not  been  a  serious  delay  over  the 
main  line  for  eight  years." 


13 

"By  the  way."  sai'l 
the  Major,  as  he  lit  a 
cigar  and  handed  one  to 
the  Judge,  "  was  there  an 

accident?    I  saw  them  carrying  some  one  into  the 
station  on  a  litter." 

"Oh.  no.     Thai   was  a  lady  suffering  from  con- 
sumption, brought  here  forbenefil  from  our  climate. 
Such  scenes  are  not  uncommon  at  the  Union  Depot." 
'Indeed!    Have  you  any  idea  where  she  came 
from?" 

"The  attendant  told  me  that  she  was  a  New  York 
lady,  but  had  come  directly  here  from  Davos  Platz, 
in  Switzerland." 
"That's  strange— has  Colorado  climate  such  a  high  reputation 
for  the  cure  of  lung  diseases?" 

"Most  assuredly,  many  of  the  most  eminent  physicians  and 
medical  journals  recommend  it  as  superior  in  every  respect  to  the 
noted  places  of  Europe,  and  if  patients  only  come  in  time,  a  cure  is 
almost  a  certainty." 

"In  what  respect  does  Colorado's  climate  excel  that  of  Switzer- 
land, for  instance?" 

"In  its  pure  dry  air  and  sunshine.    Colorado  has  about  twice  the 
hours  of  sunshine  and  a  higher  average  temperature,  while  there  is 
a  great  deal  less  rainfall  and  consequent  humidity." 
"How  do  the  altitudes  compare  ?" 

"The  altitudes  of  Colorado  range  somewhat  higher,  but  the 
temperature  also  ranges  higher,  and  we  have  no  extremes  of  heat 
and  cold.  Timber  grows  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  at  an  elevation  of  from 
11,000  to  12,000  feet,  while  perpetual  snow  in  Switzerland  begins  at  8,500 
feet  ;  there  are  many  varieties  of  tender  trees  and  plants  that  thrive  in 
Colorado  that  cannot  exist  at  the  same  altitude  in  Switzerland — jusl  80 
with  delicate  invalids,  who  can  only  remain  at  Davos  during  certain 
seasons,  while  they  can  derive  benefits  in  Colorado  through  the  entire 
year." 

The  Major  crossed  his  legs,  leaned  back  in  his  seat,  and  reflectively 
puffed  his  cigar;  the  train  had  passed  Burnham,  where  the  great  shops  of 
the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad  Company  are  situated,  ami  was  now 
bowling  along  the  valley  of  the  Platte.  The  Judge  pointed  out  Fort 
Logan  in  the  distance,  and  explained  thai  ■•  Uncle  Sam"  had  already  ex- 
pended a  million  dollars  upon  its  construction,  with  the  intention  of  mak- 
ing it  the  model  military  post  of  the  country. 

As  the  train  moves  swiftly  by  "  Wolhurst"  (the  beautiful  suburban 


14 

bpme  of  Senator  Wolcott,  a  dozen  miles  from  Denver),  and  as  the  Judge 
explains  to  his  friends  how,  in  a  few  years,  irrigation  has  converted  an 
arid  plain  into  this  beautiful  park,  we  wall  take  the  opportuuity  to  intro- 
duce these  gentlemen  to  our  readers. 

Judge  Stark  and  Major  Preston  had  met  each  other  for  the  first  time 
the  week  previous  at  a  banquet  of  Denver's  business  men.  Maj.  Preston 
is  a  dignified,  handsome  gentleman  of  perhaps  sixty,  but  looks  ten  years 
younger,  and  had  come  to  the  West  as  the  representative  of  an  Eastern 
syndicate,  with  the  view  of  making  investments.  He  was  inquisitive 
upon  all  subjects  pertaining  to  the  resources  and  investment  advantages 
of  Colorado,  and  found  Judge  Stark  a  gentleman  thoroughly  competent 
to  furnish  him  much  valuable  information,  because  of  his  wide  experience 
and  intimate  and  varied  knowledge  of  Colorado's  resources,  for  the  Judge 
had  come  to  Colorado  during  the  first  gold  excitement  in  '58,  and,  after 
having  successively  worked  as  a  miner,  as  a  newspaper  editor  in  a  mining 
camp,  practiced  at  the  bar  as  a  mining  and  corporation  lawyer,  and 
crowning  his  legal  career  with  a  term  on  the  state  supreme  bench,  he  is 
now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  a  well-spent  life,  as  a  retired  capitalist  and 
honored  citizen. 

The  Major  threw  his  cigar  out  of  the  window,  and  a  pleasant  smile 
lighted  up  his  face  as  he  said, — 

"Judge,  I  have  visited  nearly  every  important  city  in  America  and 
many  in  Europe,  but  this  is  my  first  visit  to  Denver  and  Colorado,  and  I  am 
simply  amazed  at  the  beauty,  the  size  and  cleanliness  of  your  city,  as  well 
as  its  wonderful  growth  and  the  magnificence  of  its  public  and  private 
buildings.  It  is  a  liberal  education  in  architecture  to  look  at  your  public 
school  buildings,  while  the  Court  House  and  State  Capitol  are  truly  mag- 
nificent. Why.  you  have  many  buildings  that  are  not  surpassed  in 
Chicago  or  New  York;  and  then  you  have  so  many  good  hotels.  Take 
the  'Brown  Palace  Hotel."  for  instance;  there  is  none  in  the  country 
superior  to  it.  so  far  as  I  know,  either  in  architecture  or  appointments.  I 
I  have  heard  it  spoken  of  as  a  very  fine  hotel,  by  some  New  York  gentle- 
men, but  it  far  exceeded  my  expectations ;  I  was  not  prepared  for  so  much 
magnificence." 

"Are  you  interested  in  clubs,  Major?" 

"Yes,  I  am  quite  a  club  man,  and  was  entertained  at  your  principal 
ones,  the  'Denver  Club'  and  the  'Athletic  Club;'  they  are  housed  in 
exceptionally  fine  buildings  that  would  do  credit  to  any  city ;  and,  as  for 
their  membership,  I  do  not  care  to  meet  more  cordial,  kindly  or  intelligent 
gentlemen.  I  did  not  visit  them  all,  but  understand  that  there  are  several 
other  delightful  clubs  in  your  city." 

"  Did  you  know.  Major,  that  they  build  no  frame  houses  in  Denver  ?" 

"I  did  not  observe  any,  now  that  you  have  referred  to  it,  but  I  took 


15 


Sp:  O^TsOl^S    egpecia]  notice  of   the  many 
-i%      elegant  residences  thai  lie  to  the  east  of  the 
'Capitol  Building.'     The  tasteful  and   hand- 
some architecture  impressed  me  very  much." 
"Then  you  drove  ahout  the  city?" 
"No,   1  learned  thai  1    could  see  the  city 
better  by  taking  the  electric  and  cable  lines, 
and  I  spent  two  afternoons  in   visiting  such 
points  as  the  smelters,  stock  yards,  auburban  lakes  and  the 
resorts  and  universities,  and  thus  secured  a  good  idea  of  the 
wide  extent  of  your  educational,  manufacturing  and   resi- 
dence districts." 

"What  is  your  idea  of  Denver  real  estate.  Judge?" 
"Where  it  is  judiciously  located,  it  will  certainly  sec  a  rise  in  values  on 
the  termination  of  the  present  world-wide  financial  stringency." 
"  How  are  rents  in  Denver  V  asked  the  Major. 

"They  have  never  been  out  of  proportion  to  the  business  done,  and 
naturally  fluctuate  Bomewhat  with  the  times.  At  present  they  are  very 
reasonable." 

"To  be  candid,  what  impressed  you  most  with  Denver'.-'" 
"Its  life."  promptly  replied  the  Major.  "Compared  with  the  large 
cities  in  the  East  that  I  have  recently  visited.  Denver  seems  to  be  very 
prosperous,  indeed.  I  had  expected,  sine  the  silver  agitation,  to  find 
many  more  unemployed  people  in  Denver,  but  I  find  very  few  as  coin- 
pared  with  the  cities  of  the  East.  There  is  a  (go-ahead'  air  about  the 
people  that  shows  a  spirit  of  business  push  which  fully  explains  to  me  the 
secret  underlying  Denver's  marvelous  grOwth." 

"You  remember  that  one  of  the  speakers  at  the  'banquet'  dwelt  par- 
ticularly upon  this  subject,"  suggested  the  Judge. 

"By  the  way.  your  reference  to  the  banquet,"  said  the  Major,  "recalls 
a  very  pleasant  experience.  Not  only  was  1  cordially  entertained,  hut  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  making  the  acquaintance  of  some  of  your  brightest 
business  men.  and  1  was  especially  impressed  with  the  character  of  the 
speeches,  as  well  as  the  character  of  the  men.  So  long  as  this  class  of  men 
have  in  trust  the  future  of  Colorado  the  prosperity  of  your  state  is  assured." 
The  train  glided  smoothly  along  past  Castle  Rock,  with  its  pink  stone 
quarries,  and  on  through  the  beautiful  landscape  of  plain,  with  the  moun- 
tains to  the  west.  The  snow-patched  foothills  contrasted  prettily  with 
the  ranches  that  carpeted  the  slopes  which  led  up  to  the  "Divide."  This  is 
the  watershed  between  the  Arkansas  and  the  Platte,  and  the  elevated 


16 

plain  presents  a  variegated  view  made  bright  and  beautiful  with  brooks 
and  rivulets,  while  the  serrated  ranges  of  the  Rockies  stretch  away  in  the 
distance.  The  train  slows  up,  and  conies  to  a  standstill  at  Palmer  Lake, 
on  the  crest  of  the  "Divide,"  having  imperceptibly  made  an  ascent  of  2,000 
feel  in  the  fifty-two  miles  run  from  Denver. 

As  is  the  fashion  with  all  passengers  passing  through  Palmer  Lake,  the 
two  friends  join  the  crowd  that  throng  into  the  dining-room  and  refresh 
themselves  with  a  lunch  of  coffer  and  sandwiches,  such  as  is  not  equalled 
between  tin-  oceans.  Experienced  travelers  know  this  to  be  a  fact, 
and  that  is  why  this  particular  lunch-room  is  called  the  jnodel  one  of  the 
continent.  After  lunch  the  two  friends  strolled  for  a  moment  along  the 
margin  of  Palmer  Lake. 

"What  a  charming  spot,"  exclaimed  the  Major,  "and  what  a  beautiful 
lake  up  here  on  the  crest  .>f  the  mountain.     Isn't  this  extraordinary V" 

"Familiarity  with  the  wonders  of  Colorado  has  .lulled  my  keenness  of 
appreciation,  but  now  that  you  speak  of  it.  I  musl  admit  that  Palmer 
Lake  is  a  wonder,  and  one  worthy  of  a  long  journey  to  behold.  It  is  a 
remarkable  fad  that  the  lakes  of  Colorado,  of  which  there  are  nearly 
five  hundred,  are  almost  invariably  in  the  high  mountains." 

"While  the  gentlemen  were  engaged  in  conversation  the  train  began  to 
move  off,  and  the  Judge  and  Major  quickly  stepped  upon  the  rear  plat- 
form. They  remained  standing,  as  the  .Judge  pointed  out  the  hotel  and 
beautiful  villas  and  pavilions  of  Palmer  Lake.  And,  as  the  train  neared 
(den  Park  (the  ' ' <  hautauqua  of  the  West"),  the  attention  of  the  group 
was  called  to  the  grotesque  monoliths  on  the  left;  among  them  they  found 
"Phoebe's  Arch,"  with  Monument  Park  in  the  distance,  and  the  dozens  of 
tasteful  cottages  amid  groves  of  trees  that  nestle  among  the  hills,  which 
blend  gracefully  away  into  a  billowy  valley,  and  lose  themselves  in  the 
fri  age  of  the  h<  >ri  z<  m.  In  a  few  moments  the  train  went  whizzing  by  the 
quaint  little  town  of  Monument. 

"This  is  where  we  have  our  ' potato  bakes,'  Major,"  said  the  Judge. 

"What  under  heaven  is  a  -potato  hake".'"'  exclaimed  the  Major. 

"Why,  the  main  industry  of  this  community  is  potato  raising,  and  this 
product  has  such  a  reputation  that  the  people  celebrate  their  harvest  in 
the  fall  of  each  year  with  a  'hake,'  which  is  in  reality  a  grand  out-of-doors 
banquet,  and  a  general  jollification,  attracting  people  from  all  the  sur- 
rounding  country,  including  Deliver  on  the  north  and  Pueblo  on  the 
south.  It  i-  to  us  what  a  'clam  hake' is  to  your  people  in  Connecticut, 
only  'mot.  bo,'  and  ..I  the  same  order  as  our  'water-melon'  and  'peach 
<iays 

"And  what  are  they?" 

"Well,  in  one  locality,  near  Rocky  Ford,  which  is  especially  adapted 
to  the  growth  of  water-melons,  we  celebrate  the  abundant  harvest  once 


IT 


.,  a  year  in  the  same 

manner.    As  many  as  5,000  melons  are 
given  away  on  occasions  like  this,  and 
on  "peach  day,'  which  is  celebrated  at 
Grand  Junction,  where  the  finest  fruits  are 
grown,  tons  of  peaches  are  given  away  to 
the  thousands  of  visitors,  all  of  these  pro- 
ducts of  the  fertile  soil  being  freely  con- 
tributed by  the  producers." 

"I  beg  pardon,  sir:  you  seem  to  be  ac- 
quainted with  the  country,  will  you  kindly  point 
out  'Pike's  Peak?'"  interrupted  a  voice,  which, 
by  its  accent,  was  quickly  recognized  by  the  Judge  as  belonging  to  an 
English  gentleman. 

"That  is  it  yonder,  sir,"  said  the  Judge,  pointing  southwestward  to 
the  bald  white  heap  that  lifted  its  head  above  the  neighboring  crests. 
"  Oh.  that  is  only  five  or  six  miles  away."  said  the  stranger. 
';A  little  farther  than  that,"  said  the  Judge,  with  a  smile.     "It  is 
exactly  thirty  miles  from  here.     Distances  are  deceiving  in  Colorado." 
"And  why?" 

"Because  the  air  is  so  clear,  and  rare  and  pure,  that  nothing  obscures 
the  view,  and  remote  objects  appear  as  clear  cut  as  if  viewed  through  an 
opera  glass." 

"  This  is  the  highest  peak  of  the  Rockies,  is  it  not?" 
"No,  there  are  several  that  out-rank  it;  but  Sierra  Blanca,  in  the 
'  Sangre  De  Cristo  Range,'  is  the  highest.  Pike's  Peak  is  the  better  known, 
however,  and  is  more  prominent,  from  the  fact  of  its  being  in  the  front 
range,  and  thus  the  first  seen  from  the  plains  as  you  approach  the  moun- 
tains, and  also  from  the  fact  that  the  district  of  the  early  gold  excitement 
took  its  name  fron_  the  peak." 

"What  is  that  winding  line  I  see  through  the  snow?" 
"That  is  'Windy  Point.'  and  what  appears  to  you  a  a  line  is  the  Cog 
Railroad,  which  runs  from  Maniton  to  the  top  of  the  Peak.     Can  you  see 
that  little  dot  on  the  very  summit  of  the  Peak  ?" 

"No-o-o,"  drawled  the  gentleman,  as  he  looked  closely  :  but  drawing 
his  field-glass  from  its  case  ami  pointing  it  in  the  direction  indicated,  he 
said :    "  Yes,  I  do ;  it  is  a  building." 

"That  is  the  railroad  station.  It  was  formerly  the  United  States 
Signal  Station." 

"What  is  the  beautiful  mountain  between  us  and  the  -Peak?'" 


F7 


19 

"  That  is  Cheyenne  Mountain,  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
the  Rockies.  You  can  easily  see  the  entrance  to  the  famous  Cheyenne 
Canon." 

"What  are  those  towering  red  walls  ?  " 

"  That  to  the  right  is  the  gateway  to  the  '  Garden  of  the  Gods.'  The 
other  you  see  are  the  '  Cathedral  Spires.' " 

The  Judge  then  went  on  to  explain  that  the  gateway,  which  rises  up 
from  perfectly  level  ground,  reached  a  height  of  330  feet,  and  then  told 
of  quaint  sculpturings  to  be  found  here,  carved  in  stone  of  various  hues, 
by  those  cunning  instruments  in  the  hands  of  Nature,  the  wind,  the  rain, 
the  sunshine  and  the  frost— curious,  often  grotesque,  figures,  irresistibly 
suggestive  of  forms  of  life. 

"  Manitou  is  near  the  '  Garden,'  is  it  not  ?" 

"  Manitou  is  just  beyond  those  rolling  hills.  It  is  a  beautiful  spot,  and 
Nature  hid  it  away  in  a  cup-shaped  glen  at  the  base  of  the  Peak.  It  is 
easy  of  access,  however,  as  the  Rio  Grande  road  has  a  branch  kne  there 
from  Colorado  Springs,  and  thousands  of  visitors  yearly  spend  their 
summer  there.  It  is  frequently  called  the  '  Saratoga  of  the  West,'  prob- 
ably because  of  its  superb  hotel  accommodations.  Its  many  caves  and 
canons,  its  sparkling  waterfalls,  charming  walks  and  drives,  make  Manitou 
an  especially  desirable  place  to  pass  the  summer  season.  Its  numerous 
springs  of  delicious  waters  have  a  national  reputation.  These  waters. 
including  the  ginger  champagne  manufactured  here,  are  unexcelled  as 
table  waters,  and  are  bottled  and  shipped  all  over  the  world." 

"Yes,  some  of  my  London  friends  spent  last  season  there,  and  they 
were  better  pleased  with  Manitou  than  any  of  your  eastern  resorts,  and  in 
fact  preferred  it  to  the  Swiss  resorts.  I  shall  stop  there  myself  on  my 
return." 

The  three  gentlemen  then  retired  to  the  interior  of  the  car.  and  in  the 
course  of  conversation  it  was  developed  that  the  English  gentleman  was 
Sir  John  Moreton.  This  is  Sir  John's  first  trip  to  America,  and  he  came 
across  the  "big  pond"  to  transact  some  business  in  the  east.  Having 
some  spare  time  upon  his  hands,  Sir  John  decided  to  take  a  trip  across  the 
continent  to  acquire  a  clearer  idea  of  the  breadth  and  extent  of  the  United 
States,  and,  like  Maj.  Preston,  to  make  a  careful  study  of  the  country, 
with  a  view  to  investing,  and,  perhaps,  from  like  motives,  he  was  quite 
as  inquisitive  as  the  Major. 

The  train  rolled  onward  with  slowly  slackening  pace,  beside  the  stream 
of  the  Monument,  and  parallel  with  Cascade  Avenue,  with  its  continuous 
row  of  elegant  homes,  and  came  to  a  stop  at  the  beautiful  stone  depot  in 
Colorado  Springs.  A  block  away  was  the  "  Antler's  Hotel."  a  handsome 
stone  structure,  parked  with  splendid  trees  and  walks,  and  approached  by 
broad  and  shady  drives. 


20 


This  delightful  city  has  a  pop-  TAIL  lt^^\M 
ulation  of  about  15,000;  many  of 
its  most  prosperous  citizens  remain  here  on 
account  of  its  excellent  society  and  superior 
climatic  advantages.  The  dry  air,  pure 
waters  and  continuous  sunshine  make  it  an 
all-the-year-round  health  resort,  and  many 
wealthy  health-seekers  have  their  permanent 
hemes  here.  A  number  of  prominent  gentle- 
men have  established,  about  five  miles  from 
tin-  city,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  on  the 
banks  of  Cheyenne  Lake,  a  most  picturesque  resort 
known  as  "Broadmoor."  and  erected  a  handsome  club  house, 
called  "Broadmoor  Casino."  During  the  summer  an  excellent  band  is 
smployed,  and  the  musical  attractions  of  the  place  are  such  as  to  secure 
a  large  and  refined  clientele  of  delighted  visitors. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  COLONEL  JOINS  THE  PARTY. 


|HILE  the  train  waited  the  three  gentlemen  sauntered  up  and 
down  the  platform,  and  much  to  the  pleasure  of  the  Judge  he 
met  his  old  friend  Col.  Norcross,  who,  upon  inquiry,  stated  that 
he  was  going  west  on  the  same  train.  The  Colonel  was  duly  in- 
troduced to  the  Major  and  Sir  John,  and  his  free,  open  manner 
quickly  and  favorably  impressed  them.  The  quartet  boarded  the 
train  and  by  the  time  they  were  comfortably  seated,  it  pulled  out. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  Judge,  "I  am  very  glad  Col.  Norcross  has 
joined  us,  because  he  is  thoroughly  informed  about  Colorado,  and  I  am 
sure  he  can  tell  you  ranch  that  is  of  interest.  Although  he  is  a  mine 
owner  at  present,  and  a  high  authority  on  that  subject,  he  is  also 
thoroughly  posted  on  farming  and  irrigation  matters." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  I  see  the  Judge  is  disposed  to  flatter  me.  We  all 
consider  him  one  of  the  best  informed  men  in  the  state  ;  still  I  know  some- 
thing of  the  subjects  he  has  referred  to,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  give  you 
any  information  in  my  power." 

->I  say,  Col.  Norcross,  the  Judge  tells  us  you  are  posted  on  the  subject 
of  irrigation.  Can  you  tell  us  where  we  can  get  a  bottle  of  ale?  I  believe 
that  sort  of  thing  is  often  referred  to  as  ' irrigation '  in  this  country." 

Joining  in  the  general  laugh,  the  Colonel  replied,  "Right  here  in 
your  seat,  Sir  John." 

••  Why,  how  can  that  be  ;  are  such  refreshments  served  in  the  train?" 

"  Oh,  yes.  We  are  very  proud  of  the  'D.  &  R.  G.'  because  it  is  a  pro- 
gressive road,  and  keeps  right  abreast  with  the  latest  improvements.  This 
is  the  buffet  car,  you  see,  and  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  press  the  button, 
like  this." 

Sir  John  watched  the  Colonel's  business-like  movements  and  before  he 
had  time  to  speak  a  white-jacketed  porter  approached. 

"  What  shall  it  be,  gentlemen?"  quickly  asked  the  Colonel,  who  insisted 
upon  being  the  host.  Sir  John  expressed  a  desire  for  a  small  bottle  of 
ale,  the  Major  ordered  his  accustomed  glass  of  Manitou  water,  while  the 


hi 


iA5ptdft&ft 


Judge  and  the  Colonel,  with  smiling  coun- 
tenances and  in  a  confidential  undertone, 
called  for  something  stronger. 

The  Judge  supplemented  the  order  by 
calling  for  the  cigars.  In  a  few  moments 
the  porter  brought  the  refreshments,  which 
were  disposed  of,  after  which  the  gentle- 
men lit  their  cigars,  and  Sir  John  said  : 

"Well  Colonel,  I  presume  you  felt  the 
depression  of  silver  greatly  in  your  mining 
business?" 
"Well,  personally,  I  did  not  feel  it  to  a  great 
extent,  for  the  reason  that  the  properties  in  which  I  am  interested  are 
located  at  Leadville,  and  run  very  heavily  in  gold,  and  the  depression  in 
the  value  of  the  silver  product  was  more  than  counter-balanced  by  the 
increase  in  the  yield  of  gold." 

"But  I  thought  the  ores  of  Leadville  were  entirely  silver  and  lead." 
"No.  Leadville  was  originally  a  gold  camp,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
carbonate  discoveries  of  '77  that  it  became  known  as  a  silver  district.  On 
account  of  the  immense  bodies  of  silver  ore  that  were  uncovered,  gold 
mining  was  completely  overshadowed  for  the  time,  but  through  it  all  gold 
was  found  to  a  certain  and  almost  fixed  proportion  with  silver.  Since  the 
depreciation  in  silver  and  enhancing  of  gold,  there  has  been  more  develop- 
ment in  gold  properties." 

"  Has  silver  mining  seen  its  day?" 

"No.  Most  assuredly  not.  Many  of  the  principal  mines  are  still  in 
operation,  and  many  others  are  shut  down  temporarily,  because  their 
owners  are  waiting  a  better  price  for  silver,  which  is  bound  to  come  in  the 
near  future.  It  is  very  probable,  though,  that  gold  mining  will  take  the 
lead  of  silver." 

•How  will  it  do  that  V" 

"  By  reason  of  the  immense  new  discoveries.  The  increased  purchase 
ing  power  of  gold  has  stimulated  a  vigorous  search  for  it  in  the  mountains 
and  in  the  river  placers,  and  thousands  of  experienced  miners,  who  were 
deprived  of  employment  during  the  closing  of  some  of  the  silver  mines 
lael  summer,  promptly  turned  their  attention  to  the  search  for  gold  and 
immediately  began  finding  it  in  every  i>art  of  the  state,  and  in  such  unpre- 
cedented quantities  and  unexpected  places,  that  the  sum  of  their  new  dis- 
coveries is  amazing.  Even  old  gold  dumps  that  were  abandoned  when 
the  silver  excitement  of  '77  occurred  are  found  to  yield  handsome  profits 


23 

now,  because  to-day  we  have  cheaper  treatment  and  transportation,  and 
because  of  the  fact  that  gold  will  buy  nearly  twice  as  much  as  it  did  then. 
It  is  almost  beyond  belief  that  over  fifty  new  gold  camps  have  been  estab- 
lished in  twenty-one  counties  in  the  state  since  September,  1893,  and  they 
are  so  widely  distributed  and  so  independent  of  each  other  that  it  proves 
that  gold  will  be  found  in  enormously  increasing  volume  for  many  years 
to  come.  The  old  established  districts  like  Gilpin,  Clear  Creek,  Boulder, 
Granite,  Leadville,  Ouray  and  San  Juan,  have  since  last  fall  enormously 
increased  their  output,  and  the  new  camps,  such  as  Cripple  Creek,  Balfour, 
Goose  Creek,  La  Plata,  Crooked  Creek,  Amizett  and  Fulford,  have  added 
enough  new  gold  to  the  year's  output  to  place  Colorado  second  only  to  Cali- 
fornia. The  increase  of  gold  production  from  September  to  January  was 
115  per  cent,  over  the  year  before,  and  this  ratio  is  constantly  being 
enlarged,  so  that  it  is  only  a  question  of  a  few  months  when  Colorado  must 
be  the  leading  gold  producing  state  in  the  Union." 

"What  processes  are  used,  Colonel,  in  smelting  these  ores?" 
"They  do  not  all  require  smelting.  In  placer  mining  the  gold  is  found 
native  by  simply  washing  the  earth  and  sands  in  the  crudest  manner.  In 
quartz  mining,  where  the  ores  are  of  a  free  milling  character,  the  gold  is 
extracted  by  pulverizing  the  ores  under  stamps,  and  in  the  form  of  dust 
it  is  taken  up  with  quicksilver.  The  more  refractory  ores  that  cannot  be 
handled  by  either  of  these  methods,  are  sent  to  the  smelters  and  treated 
about  the  same  as  silver." 

"How  valuable  should  gold  ores  be  to  make  their  mining  profitable?" 
"Under  favorable  conditions  ore  running  $4.50  per  ton  can  be  mined 
and  treated  under  the  stamping  or  milling  process  at  a  fair  profit.  In 
ordinary  placer  mining,  sands  that  will  wash  fifteen  cents  a  yard  are  con- 
sidered remunerative,  while  ore  running  as  low  as  seven  dollars  is 
considered  paying  mineral  under  certain  smelting  processes,  and  by  the 
new  cyanide  treatment  even  lower  grade  ores  can  be  smelted  with  profit. 
Of  course  you  understand  that  these  are  very  low  grade  ores,  and  not  by 
any  means  an  indication  of  the  average,  which  is  very  much  higher.  In 
some  instances  ores  are  discovered  that  run  as  high  as  $10,000  to  $20,000 
to  the  ton.  By  the  way.  Major,"  remarked  the  Judge,  drawing  his  hand 
from  his  pocket,  "here  is  a  specimen  of  gold  ore  from  a  Cripple  Creek 
mine  that  runs  $25,000  to  the  ton." 

"This  is  all  quite  interesting,  Colonel.  The  lead  industry  is  also  quite 
large,  is  it  not?" 

"Yes.  Lead  is  nearly  always  associated  witli  silver  ores,  and  it  is 
frequently  found  with  gold.  Its  fluxing  quality  in  smelting  sometimes 
makes  lead  more  valuable  than  its  commercial  price.  The  lead  produc- 
tion though,  like  that  of  copper,  will  keep  pace  with  the  gold  and  silver 
yield,  and  over  five  million  dollars  worth  were  produced  last  year,    ^ere 


■2\ 


YAH  £>©L@[^AP>@  rJWAiT® 


are  very  few  exclusively 

lead  mines  in  the  Btate, 

but  in  many  instances  lead  predominates  in  quantities 
sufficient  to  justify  the  operation  of  the  mines  for  lead 
alone.    Then,  too,  iron  is  frequently  found  with  gold." 

••Is  tin-  iron  found  in  your  mountains  always  asso- 
ciated with  gold?" 

"No.  The  small  amount  found  with  gold  has  no  com- 
mercial value.  Our  iron  ore  deposits  are  measured  by  the 
size  of  the  mountains  that  contain  them,  and  iron  is  one  of 
our  greatest  resources,  although  comparatively  undeveloped. 
Gunnison  county  alone  has  more  iron  than  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  enough  to  supply  the  markets  of  the  continent, 
and  its  ores  can  be  converted  into  steel  pig  for  less  than  $8 
a  ton.  Iron  is  also  found  in  immense  bodies  in  Chaffee  and  Saguache 
counties  as  well  as  in  many  other  parts  of  the  state.  Our  great  iron  re- 
sources are  beginning  to  attract  widespread  attention,  and  it  is  among 
the  probabilities  that  future  years  may  see  our  iron  interests  supersede 
those  of  gold  and  silver." 

"Are  your  coal  facilities  large  enough  to  make  this  result  possible?" 

"We  boast  thai  the  quantity  of  coal  in  Colorado  is  far  in  excess  of 
that  of  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  and  West  Virginia  combined,  and  I  do  not 
believe  this  to  be  an  exaggeration.  The  supply  cf  coal  in  Colorado  is 
practically  inexhaustible.  One  particular  area  of  bituminous  coal  extends 
from  St.  Vrain  on  the  north  to  the  Raton  Mountains  on  the  south.  This 
great  coal  measure  is  about  220  miles  in  length  and  varies  from  20  to  25 
mil!-  in  breadth.  Extensive  developments  in  this  vast  field  have  been 
made  in  the  vicinities  of  Trinidad.  Walsenburg,  Canon  City  and  Coal 
( ireek.  And  the  same  kind  of  coal  abounds  in  Gunnison,  Garfield,  Huer- 
fano, Las  Animas.  Pitkin  and  La  Plata  counties.  Anthracite  coal  is 
found  in  large  quantities  in  the  coal  basins  of  the  Elk  Mountains  in  Gun- 
nison county,  of  which  about  86,000  tons  were  mined  and  shipped  in  1893, 
which  does  not  begin  to  represenl  the  capacity  of  this  one  field;  the  de- 
mand is  largely  increasing,  as  are  also  the  facilities  for  production.  One  of 
our  best  informed  ciii-<  ,is  lately  made  the  ass.  rfion  that  if  all  the  known 
coal  of  ( lolorado,  which  is  over  18,000  square  miles  in  extent,  were  equally 
distributed  i1  would  carpet  the  104,500  square  miles  of  this  state  three  and 
one-half  feet  thick.  Colorado  coal  fetches  a  higher  price  at  Missouri 
River  pi  inte  than  Pennsylvania  coal.  Of  course  our  coal  resources  are 
only  p.'.rtly  developed,  but  the  growth  of  the  iron,  manufacturing  and 
mining  business  will  stimulate  it  into  an  interest  of  great  magnitude;  and 
the  coke  industry  will  grow  along  with  it — last  year's  production  alone 
beirg  360,000  tons." 


25 

"  There  seems  to  be  a  great  variety  of  mineral  wealth  buried  in  your 
mountains,"  said  the  Major,  who  had  been  listening  attentively,  "which 
ought  to  be  a  source  of  great  prosperity  to  your  state." 

"Yes,  a  high  authority  has  said  that  Colorado  has  every  variety  of 
mineral  known  in  the  world,  in  greater  or  less  quantities.  The  state  pro- 
duces nearly  a  million  dollars  worth  of  copper  annually,  and  also  zinc, 
nickel,  mica,  mercury,  china  and  pottery  clay,  gypsum,  mineral  paint, 
bismuth,  asphaltuin,  asbestos,  alabaster  and  many  more  of  the  like" 

"Judging  from  the  many  massive  rocks  we  have  seen,  I  should  infer 
that  you  are  well  supplied  with  building  stone." 

"Yes,  indeed.  The  quarries  of  Colorado  are  unsurpassed  for  the 
extent,  quality  and  diversity  of  its  stone.  We  have  granite  enough  to  du- 
plicate all  the  public  buildings  of  the  world,  and  tint  the  structures  blue, 
pink,  gray,  purple  or  mottled,  the  natural  colors  of  the  stone.  We  pro- 
duce the  best  of  flag  stone  for  sidewalks  and  also  fine  paving  blocks.  The 
beautiful  lava  stone  you  saw  in  many  of  the  buildings  in  Denver  is  pecu- 
liarly a  Colorado  product ;  it  is  found  in  white,  pink,  blue  and  gray  tints. 
Colorado  sandstone  is  extensively  shipped  to  Chicago  and  intervening 
points  for  building  purposes,  also  for  sidewalks  and  pavements.  The  gov- 
ernment used  Colorado  granite  for  the  basement  of  the  Post  Office  in 
Kansas  City,  and  is  using  it  exclusively  for  the  'Federal  Building'  at 
Omaha ;  and  our  own  beautiful  Capitol  building  and  Custom  house,  as 
well  as  the  principal  business  blocks  and  residences  of  Denver,  are  built  of 
Colorado  granite  or  sandstone.  We  have  large  areas  of  marble,  serpen- 
tine and  in  variegated  colors,  in  Gunnison  and  Fremont  counties,  and  they 
are  now  being  developed.  Onyx,  of  beautiful  mottled  and  honeycomb 
design,  is  an  important  and  recent  development.  Then  we  have  in 
various  parts  of  the  state  a  fine  quality  of  clay,  from  which  a  superior 
pressed  brick  is  made,  and  it  finds  a  market  in  many  remote  cities." 

"By  the  way,  Colonel,  clay  is  a  very  valuable  product.  Does  it  exist 
in  sufficient  variety  for  its  many  uses  ?  "  asked  Sir  John. 

"  Our  clay  banks  are  so  varied  that  they  yield  excellent  material  for 
sewer  pipe,  tiling,  firebrick,  pottery-ware  and  china,  and  newly  discovered 
kaolin  deposits  make  excellent  whiteware  which  some  day  will  give  rise 
to  a  large  industry." 

"Your  material  resources  are  certainly  wonderful,  but  even  still  more 
wonderfxd  is  the  energy  of  your  people  which  has  produced  such  a  vigor- 
ous development  in  so  young  a  state." 

"About  what  is  the  population  of  Colorado  now?"  asked  the  Major, 
looking  up  from  his  notebook,  in  which  he  had  been  making  memoranda 
during  the  Colonel's  conversation. 

"You'd  better  ask  the  Judge  about  that.  He  knows  everybody  in  the 
state." 


27 


WOLIYOV  Kl  WLY  FODOT  ^W 


The  Judge  brightened 
up  from  hisquiei  doze  and  responded,    ln[c,/^lr\  a 
"Well,    the    population   in    1890    was 
412,000.     I  presume  at  least  100,000  more  have  come 
in  since  then,  but  I've  not  yet  made  the  acquaintance 
of  all  the  new-comers." 

"Where  do  the  additions  to    your    population 
come  from?" 

"From  New  t,i  gland,  the  Middle,  Southern  and 
Central  states,  ana  from  Europe.  Colorado's  people 
arc  picked  from  the  best  communities  in  the  world, 
and  they  come  this  long  distance  because  here  they 
find  the  best  opportunities  for  health  and  wealth, 
and  many  are  attracted  by  our  superb  climate.  Col- 
orado is  just  far  enough  from  the  denser  settlements 
of  the  country  not  to  attract  the  indolent  and  the  shiftless.  We  pride  our- 
selves only  on  quality,  not  quantity.  We  have  four  hundred  churches  in 
tin  state,  and  four  hundred  and  twenty-three  newspapers,  and  the  intelli- 
gence and  morality  of  our  people  is  far  above  the  average.  Denver  alone 
has  seventy -six  newspapers  and  periodicals,  the  dailies  of  that  city  being 
equal  in  every  respect  to  those  published  in  the  metropolitan  cities  of  the 
east." 

"I  have  heard   your  educational   facilities  highly  spoken  of." 

"Yes,  there  is  no  state  in  the  Union  of  like  population  that  ex- 
cels Colorado  in  educational  advantages.  The  government  provided 
for  this  great  factor,  originally,  by  endowing  the  state  with  ample 
lands;  the  State  University,  the  School  of  Mines,  the  Agricultural 
College,  and  the  Normal  School  are  all  maintained  from  the  bount- 
eous school  land  fund.  There  are  nearly  1,500  school  houses  in  the 
state,  and  their  average  value  is  $2,500  each,  nearly  double  that  of 
the  average  of  the  nation.  Nearly  every  religious  denomination  has 
its  distinct  university  or  academy.  The  School  Board  of  Boston 
copied  features  from  the  Denver  High  School,  Germany  adopted 
plan's  of  one  of  our  school  buildings,  and  the  Chamberlain 
servatory  at  Denver  is  a  new  help  to  astronomy.  Scientific, 
torical,  medical  and  art  societies  exist  in  the  leading  towns 
cities,  while  the  'Silver  Circuit'  of  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Railroad  enables  the  leading  dramatic  companies  of 
to    tour    the    6tate    profitably    on    their    route    to    the 


has 
the 
Ob- 

his- 
and 

Grande 
the    country 
Pacific     Coast." 


28 

"While  I  think  of  it,  Judge,  what  is  your  state  debt?" 

"  Only  two  million  dollars,  which  is  about  five  dollars  per  capita,  and, 
considering  the  vast  necessary  improvements  and  the  valuation  of  prop- 
erty, it  is  extremely  low." 

"  What  is  the  property  in  Colorado  estimated  to  be  worth  ?  " 

"  Because  of  the  peculiarity  of  our  assessment  laws,  the  assessed  valu- 
ation of  our  property  is  only  about  two  hundred  and  thirty-eight  million 
dollars,  but,  according  to  the  last  report  of  the  Auditor  of  State,  its  actual 
value  is  seven  hundred  million,  or  about  two  thousand  dollars  for  each 
inhabitant — men,  women  and  children." 

"  Excuse  me  a  moment,  Major,"  said  the  Judge  ;  "  it  is  about  this  point 
where  the  Spanish  Peaks  come  into  view." 

The  Judge  looked  out  of  the  window,  and  said,  "  Yes,  there  they  are. 
Let  us  go  to  the  platform,  where  we  can  see  them  better." 

The  four  gentlemen  proceeded  to  do  so,  and  as  they  arranged  them- 
selves in  convenient  positions  to  view  the  scene,  the  Judge  asked : 

"How  far  away  do  you  think  they  are?" 

"  Oh,  about  twenty-five  miles,"  said  Sir  John. 

"Ha,  ha,  ha  I"  laughed  the  Major.  "Remember  your  Pike's  Peak 
experience,  Sir  John.     They  are  nearer  fifty." 

"  Well,  Major,  I  think  they  are  nearer  twenty-five  than  fifty  and  I  am 
willing  to  wager  another  punch  of  the  bell  on  it." 

"  Very  well,  Sir  John.     How  far  are  they,  Judge?" 

"  Exactly  one  hundred  miles,  gentlemen." 

The  view  was  as  enchanting  as  its  distance  was  deceiving.  Far  to  the 
south  the  level  line  of  the  plain  lifted  itself  into  the  "  Twin  Breasts"  of 
the  "  Wahatoya,"  whose  conical  curves  blended  with  the  dark  blue  dome 
of  the  overarching  heavens  ;  while  in  the  distance  to  the  west  the  faint 
blue  outlines  of  the  "Greenhorn"  range  were  discerned  and  to  the  east 
the  union  of  earth  and  sky  was  unbroken. 

A  sharjj  turn  in  the  curve  induced  the  gentlemen  to  return  to  the 
inside,  and  the  train  sped  through  the  steel  bridge  over  the  Arkansas,  rat- 
tled acro.ss  the  countless  switches  of  increasing  rails,  and  rolled  past  gates 
and  semaphores,  and  moving  trains.  The  pace  grew  slower ;  theair  brakes 
heaved  a  sigh  of  relief  and  the  gentlemen  alighted  at  the  Union  Depot  of 
Pueblo,  the  "Pittsburgh  of  the  West." 

The  attention  of  the  Major  and  Sir  John  was  at  once  attracted  to  the 
handsome  depot  building  of  pink  stone,  with  its  broad,  inviting  approaches 
and  elegant  interior  of  hard-wood  and  brass  trimmings,  which  have  given 
it  the  reputation  of  being  the  finest  depot  structure  west  of  Chicago.  A 
scene  of  animation  presented  itself  about  the  depot  as  the  trains  of  the 
"Missouri  Pacific,"  "Rock  Island"  and  "Santa  Fe"  came  in  from  Kan- 
sas City,  St.  Louis  and  Chicago,  and  transferred  their  passengers  to  the 


29 


■JU 


^f^r^J^' 


Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
Railroad  to  continue  the 
journey  to  various  points 
of  destination  in  Colo- 
rado, Utah  and  the  Pacific  Coast. 

The  four  gentlemen  passed  into  the 
elegant  dining-room,  which  is  managed  upon  the 
same  high  standard  of  excellence  that  characterizes 
all  of  the  dining  stations  on  this  popular  rallr<  »a<l .  and 
were  met  by  a  polite  attendant,  who  escorted  them 
to  seats  around  a  handsome  dining-table  spread 
with  the  whitest  of  linen  and  laden  with  an  elegant 
service  of  china  and  silver. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  COLONEL  TALKS  OF  AGRICULTURE  AND  IRRIGATION. 


HE  excellent  repast  was  fully  enjoyed,  and,  as  there  was  still 
some  time  before  the  train  would  proceed,  the  gentlemen  lit 
their  cigars  and  strolled  leisurely  about  the  parked  grounds  of 
the  depot. 

"Judge,  what  gives  Pueblo  the  name  of  'Pittsburgh  of  the 
MS-         West?- 

V  "Its  coal,  iron  and  smelting  interests.   Pueblo  has  three  great 

ore  smelting  plants,  which  in  themselves  constitute  a  town  of  consider- 
able importance,  and  besides  it  is  a  young  giant  in  the  iron  and  steel  indus- 
try. Here  is  the  great  iron  and  steel  plant  of  the  Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron 
Co.,  which  takes  the  crude  iron  ore  of  Colorado  and  manufactures  it  into 
pig  iron,  Bessemer  steel,  castings,  merchant  bar  iron,  and  a  large  percent- 
age of  the  steel  rails  consumed  in  the  west.  The  company  also  controls 
many  very  large  anthracite  and  bituminous  coal  mines  in  various  parts  of 
the  state.  Then  Pueblo  has  many  other  allied  interests,  such  as  foundries, 
machine  shops,  etc.  Cheap  fuel  and  close  proximity  to  raw  material  are 
making  Pueblo  a  great  manufacturing  center,  and  its  growth  has  been 
especially  marked  in  the  ore  smelting  and  lead  refining  industries.  All  of 
these  varied  interests  give  employment  to  several  hundreds  of  families, 
and  are  adding  constantly  to  the  population,  which  is  now  50,000.  The 
magnificent  Mineral  Palace,  erected  by  its  public  spirited  citizens,  is  an 
attractive  exposition  of  the  state's  mineral  resources,  and  the  many  fine 
residences  on  the  Mesa,  and  business  blocks  down  town,  make  Pueblo  a 
city  of  metropolitan  proportions." 

"How  extensive  are  the  smelting  interests  of  the  state?" 
"There  are  twenty  smelters,  all  told ;  the  largest  of  which  are  at  Den- 
ver and  Pueblo,  and  they  are  fully  equipped  to  handle  all  the  gold,  silver, 
lead,  copper  and  zinc  ores  of  the  state,  besides  that  of  five  or  six  adjoining 
states  and  territories.  As  a  rule  the  smelters  of  Leadville,  Aspen,  Du- 
rango,  Rico  and  other  interior  points,  handle  only  the  ores  of  their 
districts." 


31 


ABUrtfcTCAR.YQV 

••  Is  Pueblo  the  only  iron  manufactur- 
ing  point?" 

"No.  Besides  the  large  rolling  mill 
plani  here,  there  is  one  at  Trinidad,  and 
in  addition  then'  arc  many  machine  shops 
and  several  foundries  in  Denver,  where 
mining  and  heavy  machinery  is  manu- 
factured, which  find  a  market  in  the  ad- 
joining states,  and  as  far  away  as  the 
City  of  Mexico;  and  there  is  also  a  stove 
manufactory  with  a  considerable  trade." 
"What  other  important  manufactur- 
ing interests  has  Colorado?" 
"  They  are  varied  and  numerous,  and  new  ones  are  being  established 
right  along.  The  only  news-print  paper  mills  between  the  lakes  and  the 
Pacific  coast  are  located  at  Denver,  which  not  only  supply  the  Colorado 
market,  but  ship  their  product  for  a  thousand  miles  in  various  directions. 
A  very  large  book  paper  mill  is  about  to  commence  operations ;  a  sulphite 
pulp  mill  lias  been  running  for  some  months:  a  manilla  and  wrapping 
paper  mill  and  soda  pulp  mill,  all  about  to  be  built,  the  whole  represent- 
ing over  $2,000,000,  most  of  it  eastern  capital,  and  Denver  is  already  the 
greatest  paper  manufacturing  coder  of  the  whole  trans-Missouri  country. 
What  has  been  done  in  paper  making  will  inevitably  be  done  in  the  early 
future  as  to  woolen  manufacturing,  glass  manufacturing,  whiteware  pot- 
teries, etc.,  for  which  there  are  as  good  openings  as  there  were  three  years 
ago  for  paper  making.     A  large  cotton  mill  is  also  in  successful  operation, 

and  its  fabrics  arc  sold  as  far  as  the   Pacific ast,  with  a  probability  of  a 

trade  with  China  and  Japan.  Chemical  works  utilize  the  pyrites  of  the 
mountains  in  producing  acids.  Soap  is  manufactured  to  a  very  great  ex- 
tent. Denver  has  a  tannery,  together  with  a  shoe  factory  to  handle  the 
product,  while  it  makes  beer  enough  to  'paint  the  town  red' and  had 
enough  to  paint  it  white  again.  The  white  lead  works  of  Denver  ship 
their  product  extensively  to  Missouri  river  points  and  eastward,  also  to 
the  Pacific  coast  and  Texas.  The  packing  houses  of  Denver  ship  lard  and 
cured  meats  extensively  to  Washington,  Oregon  and  California.  Denver- 
made  fire-brick  fetches  a  higher  price  in  Portland.  Oregon,  than  English- 
made  bricks  brought  around  Cape  Horn  as  ballast,  while  Denv<  r-niade 
assayers'  supplies  axe  shipped  in  car  lots  to  New  Ybri  City,  San  Francisco 
and  the  City  of  Mexico.  Denver  makes  its  own  street  cars,  having  a 
plant  that  cuts  off  competition  from  the  cast   almost   entirely,  and  these 


32 

cars  travel  the  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  miles  of  street  railway  lines  of 
that  city — the  best  equipped  rapid-transit  service  on  the  continent.  Den- 
ver also  makes  carriages,  hardware,  canned  goods,  crackers,  pickles, 
cigars  and  many  other  articles.  While  I  am  unable  to  give  you  the  total 
manufacturing  result  for  the  state,  I  can  say  that  Denver  alone  manufac- 
tured in  1893  nearly  $40,000,000  worth,  and  Pueblo's  manufactures  were 
proportionately  large." 

"Do  you  have  to  import  your  bottles  and  jars?" 

"No.  The  glass  works  at  Colorado  City  make  the  bottles  in  which 
hundreds  of  car  loads  of  Manitou  water  and  ginger  ale  are  shipped  yearly 
to  the  east  and  abroad." 

At  this  point  the  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  voice  of  the 
depot  master,  announcing  the  time  of  departure.  The  Judge  requested 
one  of  the  depot  attendants  to  telephone  ahead  to  the  Vendome  Hotel, 
Leadville,  to  reserve  accommodations  for  himself  and  the  Colonel,  having 
neglected  to  make  the  arrangements  before. 

"To  Leadville?  How  far  is  it  to  Leadville?"  asked  Sir  John,  in  surprise. 

"  One  hundred  and  sixty  miles,"  answered  the  Judge. 

"I  must  say  that  you  are  an  enterprising  people.  Is  it  profitable  to 
maintain  such  a  long  line  as  that?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,  we  could  not  get  along  without  it.  It  is  almost  indis- 
pensable to  the  Leadville  mine  owners  residing  in  Denver  and  Pueblo, 
and  the  same  remark  applies  to  the  general  telephone  system  which  con- 
nects Denver  and  Pueblo  with  cities  like  Colorado  Springs,  Florence, 
Cripple  Creek.  Canon  City,  and,  in  fact,  all  towns  within  a  radius  of  150 
miles  from  Denver." 

The  train  moved  off  and  the  quartet  resumed  their  seats  in  the  smok- 
ing apartment.  As  it  gained  in  speed  and  rattled  over  the  crossing,  the 
Major  detained  the  passing  porter,  and  asked  him: 

"What  road  is  that?"  pointing  to  the  straight  line  of  road  leading 
south. 

"That,  sah,  is  the  D.  &  R.  G.  branch  to  Trinidad  an'  Alamosa." 

' '  How  can  it  go  to  both  points ;  are  they  not  wide  apart?" 

"Yes,  sah,  but  they  is  a  branch  road  dat  goes  from  Cuchara  to 
Trinidad." 

"  Is  there  much  business  on  that  road?" 

"I  really  don't  know,  sah." 

"Well,  then,  what's  the  character  of  the  business?" 

"  I  don't  know,  sah.  I'se  nevah  been  on  dat  'run,'  sah,  but  I  do  want 
to  go  down  dere  sometime,  and  go  over  Veta  Pass." 

"  Why  do  you  want  to  go  over  Veta  Puss?" 

"  Because  dey  say  it's  so  purty.  De  cars  jis  clim'  up  till  you  git  10,000 
feet  high,  den  go  right  down  agin  like  a  toboggan." 


:« 


nmwmw 
uyurror- 

Ylrm       The   judge  here 

'TATfe    came  to  the  porter's 

rescue,  and,  after  describing  the 


attractive  trip  over  this  wonderful 
pass,  explained  that  at  Trinidad 
connection  was  made  with  the  Union 
Pacific,  Denver  &  Gulf  road  for  Texas 
points,  as  well  as  New  Orleans  and  all 
southern  cities,  and  that  it  also  tapped  the  great  coal 
treasures  of  Trinidad,  which  have  already  been  re- 
ferred to,  and  that  there  were  seven  or  eight  branches  that  fed  the  main 
line  from  as  many  great  producing  fields,  and  made  an  enormous  traffic  of 
coal  and  coke  for  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  R.  R. 

"  By  the  way,  Trinidad  is  one  of  our  most  promising  cities,  being  the 
center  not  only  of  the  coal  districts  of  southern  Colorado,  but  also  of 
the  sheep  raising  and  wool  interests." 
••  Is  Alamosa  also  a  coal  district?" 

"No."  interrupted  Col.  Norcross,  anxious  for  an  opportunity  to  talk- 
on  bis  favorite  theme.  "  Alamosa  is  the  center  of  a  great  agricultural  and 
pastoral  region.  It  is  the  focal  city  of  the  great  San  Luis  Valley." 
■  What  is  the  San  Luis  Valley?"  asked  the  Major. 
"It  is  a  perfectly  level  stretch  of  most  fertile  land,  about  sixty  miles 
wide  and  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles  long,  lying  between  the 
Sangre  de  Cristo  and  Cumbres  ranges  of  mountains.  The  soil  is  from  six 
to  fifteen  feet  deep,  and  the  valley  lies  7,000  feet  above  sea  level.  The  Rio 
Grande  River  runs  down  through  its  center,  and  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
Railroad  cuts  it  into  quarters,  with  its  four  branches  centering  ai  Alamosa. 
The  branch  from  Pueblo  over  La  Veta  Pass  and  through  the  well  known 
Trinchara  Estate  is  the  easl  leg  of  the  quadrant;  the  south  branch  out  of 
Alamosa  goes  down  to  Santa  IV.  with  a  continuation  of  its  main  line 
beginning  at  Antonito  and  running  into  Durangoand  Silverton.  and  from 
the  latter  point  the  Rio  Grande  Southern  makes  the  connection  through 
the  Silver  San  Juan.'  around  to  the  beautiful  city  of  Ouray.  From  Sil- 
verton over  the  'Rainbow  Route"  a  second  connection  with  Ouray  is  made, 
which  completes  the  famous  trip  'Around  the  Circle.'  West  from  Ala- 
mosa a  branch  runs  through  Del  Norte  to  Wagon  Wheel  Cap.  and  thence 
to  Creede,  the  wonderful  silver  camp  whose  extensive  silver  mines  so 
amaze  the  country.  The  north  leg  from  Alamosa  runs  straight  as  an 
arrow  to  Poncha  Pass,  and  joins  the  main  line  at  Salida." 

"Why,  Colonel,  I  had  no  idea  there  were  such  large  areas  of  level 
plain  among  the  mountains." 


85 

"Oh,  yes.  Besides  the  plain  which  lies  east  of  the  range,  there  are 
many  of  these  mountain  valleys  known  as  parks,  which  make  the  area  of 
level  lands  in  Colorado  equal  to  about  35,001)  square  miles,  or  one-third  of 
the  total  area  of  the  state,  which  under  irrigation  are  suitable  for  agricul- 
ture. San  Luis  Valley  alone  contains  about  8,000  square  miles,  and  is  as 
large  as  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  while  the  Montezuma  Valley,  which 
is  in  the  extreme  southwestern  corner  of  Colorado,  has  an  area  of  350 
square  miles,  and  is  becoming  the  center  of  a  large  and  thriving  agricul- 
tural and  pastoral  population.  It  is  watered  by  the  Dolores  river,  and  an 
extensive  system  of  irrigating  canals.  The  Ute  Reservation,  too,  near 
Durango,  covers  an  enormous  area  which  will  soon  be  thrown  open  to 
civilized  settlement.  This  is  a  strip  of  fertile  land  fifteen  miles  wide  and 
eighty  miles  long,  through  which  the  '  D.  &  R.  G.'  runs  for  almost  its 
entire  length." 

"What  is  the  population  of  the  San  Luis  Valley?"  asked  the  Major. 

"About  15,000,  and  rapidly  increasing.  Alamosa  is  a  thriving  town 
near  the  center  of  the  valley,  and  from  this  place,  as  has  been  said  before, 
the  railroad  branches  to  the  four  points  of  the  compass.  Antonito,  La 
Jara  and  Manassa  are  well  established  towns  on  the  Southern  branch  ; 
Monte  Vista  and  Del  Norte  (both  well  built  and  prosperous  places)  are  on 
the  Western  branch  ;  Villa  Grove,  Moffat,  Garrison  and  Mosca  (all  beauti- 
fully situated  and  exceedingly  thrifty)  are  on  the  Northern  branch,  while 
Garland  (occupying  the  historic  site  of  old  Fort  Garland)  is  on  the  Eastern 
branch. 

"Is  the  San  Luis  Valley  irrigated?" 

"Very  extensively ;  as  I  explained,  the  Rio  Grande  River  runs  through 
its  center,  and  from  it  and  several  lesser  streams  extend  many  miles  of 
large  irrigating  canals,  which  have  reclaimed  this  wonderful  valley  and 
practically  placed  it  ready  for  the  plow,  and  in  addition  there  are  a  large 
number  of  flowing  artesian  wells,  with  an  unlimited  supply  of  water, 
which  are  everywhere  available  for  stock  and  domestic  uses." 

"What  can  you  raise  at  that  altitude?" 

"Wheat,  alfalfa,  oats,  barley,  peas,  potatoes,  hops,  and  vegetables; 
almost  everything  except  corn — nights  are  too  cold  for  corn.  Wheat  and 
potatoes  take  the  lead,  and  potatoes  are  shipped  extensively  into  Texas, 
and  a  San  Luis  farmer  won  the  American  Agriculturist  prize  of  |500  a 
couple  of  years  ago  for  having  raised  847  bushels  on  an  acre  ;  the  average 
yield,  however,  is  about  200  bushels  to  the  acre." 

"Are  potatoes  grown  elsewhere  in  the  state  ?" 

"Yes,  indeed.  Colorado  can  produce  enough  potatoes  to  feed  the 
population  of  Ireland.  The  districts  about  Monument  and  I  treeley  pro- 
dnce  §1,500,000  worth  a  year,  and  their  market  is  over  many  states,  and 
their  superior  quality  commanding  higher  prices  in  competition  with 


3fi 


THi  STATU, 


those  from  the 
east.  The  possi- 
bilities of  the  Colorado  po- 
tato crop  would  be  hard  to  estimate ; 
they  grow  almost  as  prolific  as  alfalfa." 
"Tell  me  about  alfalfa." 
"Alfalfa,  or  lucerne,  is  a  nutritious 
forage  plant,  whose  growth  is  peculiar 
to  the  arid  region,  and  its  root  grows 
sometimes  to  eight  or  ten  feet  in  depth  ; 
it  is  a  perpetual  crop,  and  can  hardly  be  eradicated  when 
once  rooted.  It  usually  averages  three  crops  a  season,  producing  two 
tons  at  first  and  second  cutting  and  one  ton  at  the  last,  or  five  tons  in 
all  per  acre.  Alfalfa  is  a  fine  fattening  grass  for  live-stock  and  feed  for 
horses ;  it  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  of  crops  and  is  widely  cultivated. 
About  $5,000,000  worth  was  produced  in  1893.  It  is  more  profitable  than 
hay.  although  all  kinds  of  grasses  grow  in  Colorado  and  are  largely  raised 
and  readily  marketed  within  the  state." 

"  Does  wheat  grow  well  at  these  high  altitudes?" 
"Yes.  Colorado  wheat  is  an  important  interest,  and  Colorado  flour  is 
sold  in  many  remote  markets,  where  it  is  in  demand  for  pastry  purposes. 
Flour,  representing  100.0(H)  bushels  of  wheat  per  annum,  is  already  shipped 
outside  of  Colorado  state  lines.  In  the  San  Luis  Valley,  which  is  especially 
adapted  to  wheat  raising,  there  is  a  single  field  of  fifteen  thousand  acres. 
The  wheat  crop  of  Colorado  in  1893  was  3,000,000  bushels.  The  average 
yield  of  wheat  in  Colorado  is  twenty-three  bushels  to  the  acre,  which  is 
the  highest  average  yield  of  all  the  western  states." 
"Do  oats  thrive  well?" 

"Oats  grow  well  in  all  parts  of  the  state,  but  the  San  Luis  Valley 
seems  particularly  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  this  crop.  The  yield  is 
from  sixty  to  one  hundred  bushels  per  acre  ;  the  weight,  which  is  from 
forty  to  sixty  pounds  per  bushel,  makes  them  a  very  profitable  crop. 
Farmers  are  giving  the  matter  of  oat  raising  much  more  attention  than 
formerly." 

"  I  presume  barley  also  does  well? " 

"Excellent.  Barley  is  grown  all  over  the  state,  and  is  one  of  our 
staple  crops;  it  does  especially  well  in  the  San  Luis  Valley.  It  matures 
early,  is  of  superior  quality,  and  owing  to  the  absence  of  rainfall  in  har- 
eason,  it  is  always  bright  and  unstained.  It  weighs  fifty  pounds  to 
the  bushel,  and  yields  on  an  average  of  thirty-five  bushels  to  the  acre. 
There  is  a  good  local  market,  as  all  Colorado  brewers  are  supplied  from 
our  own  product,  and  there  is  a  demand  for  Colorado  barley  from  eastern 
states." 


"And  hops?" 

"Yes.  Hops  do  well  in  Colorado,  as  the  soil  and  climate  are  especially 
adapted  to  their  culture  ;  however,  as  yet,  it  only  has  a  small  acreage  of 
hop  gardens,  and  the  brewers  annually  purchase  nearly  $100,000  worth 
from  other  states,  although  Colorado  could  supply  St.  Louis  and 
Milwaukee  with  hops." 

"And  all  of  your  crops  are  dependent  upon  irrigation?" 

"Almost  entirely.  There  are  a  few  places  in  the  state,  like  the  Divide 
district,  where  artificial  irrigation  is  not  always  required,  but  it  isn't  safe 
to  depend  on  rainfall,  which  is  so  limited,  and  irregular,  and  comes  too 
early  and  too  late  in  the  season  to  be  serviceable.  But  artificial  irrigation 
is  of  such  great  advantage  over  rainfall  that  the  scarcity  of  rain  is  no 
drawback  to  farming." 

"Then  you  claim  an  advantage  for  irrigation?" 

"Most  certainly." 

"Why?" 

"Because,  by  artificial  irrigation  you  can  apply  moisture  to  your  crops 
when  it  is  needed,  as  much  or  as  little  as  you  want.  Then  again,  you  can 
distribute  the  water  unequally  to  suit  the  requirements  of  the  various 
crops  ;  some  plants,  you  know,  need  more  moisture  than  others,  whereas, 
while  rain  would  nourish  some  crops,  at  the  same  time  will  ruin  others." 

"  But  isn't  it  very  expensive'.-" 

"Not  at  all.  Under  ditches  the  expense  is  only  about  a  dollar  to  a 
dollar  and  a  half  an  acre  a  year,  and  the  insurance  of  a  crop  makes  it 
worth  a  great  deal  more  than  that.  Where  is  there  an  eastern  farmer 
who.  when  he  plants  his  crop,  would  not  pay  a  dollar  an  acre  to  insure  it 
against  either  drought  or  an  over-abundance  of  rain?  Besides,  irrigation 
acts  as  a  fertilizer,  saving  this  additional  expense.  The  experience  of  all 
farmers  (and  the  farmers  of  Colorado  acquired  their  experience  in  the 
rain-belt  states)  is  that  artificial  irrigation  is  far  superior  in  every  way  to 
a  dependence  upon  rainfall." 

"How  extensive  is  the  irrigation  system  of  the  state?" 

"There  are  about  12,000  miles  of  main  canals  which  feed  as  many  more 

miles  of  lateral  ditches.     There  are  •>. >,000  acres  of  land  under  ditches 

in  the  state,  and  1,(300,000  acres  are  being  cultivated,  while  new  irrigation 
enterprises  are  steadily  adding  to  the  mileage  of  canals  and  developing 
new  acres  of  fertile  lands." 

"Is  the  water  sold  by  the  acre? " 

"No,  it  is  sold  by  the  inch,  and.  as  a  ride,  an  acre  requires  aboul  an 
inch  of  water,  but  in  many  soils  a  half  an  inch  is  sufficient.  What  is 
termed  an  inch  is  the  quantity  of  water  that  will  run  per  second  through 
an  inch  square  aperture  at  a  certain  pressure.  It  is  easily  measured  and 
apportioned  along  the  main  canals  to  adjoining  farms." 

236045 


:-;s 


"f  fflU  IFWLDC  HODLPDK 
¥§UW 


"Who  own  these 
ditches?" 

"There are  sever- 


al systems  of  ownership.  First : 
There  are  large  companies,  who 
— -   y*^Jt^^-^'  have  constructed  canals  to  irri- 

gate their  own  extensive  lands,  to  make  them  saleable.  Second :  Purely 
irrigation  companies  who  build  the  canals  for  the  purpose  of  deriving  a 
profil  from  the  sale  of  water ;  then  again  some  of  the  shorter  canals  are 
built  by  land  owners,  whose  lands  are  benefited  thereby,  and  they  pool 
together  and  operate  their  canals  on  a  pro  rata  basis  of  stock  ownership." 

"Are  there  no  individual  ownerships?" 

"  Plenty  of  them.  The  farmer  who  lives  beside  the  creek  or  river 
usually  builds  Ids  private  ditch,  where  the  supply  of  water  will  warrant; 
if  not,  he  can  sink  artesian  wells,  as  they  do  in  the  San  Luis  Valley,  or 
lift  the  water  from  the  stream  for  his  garden,  by  constructing  an  '  Egyp- 
tian Wheel.'" 

"  Is  that  one  of  them?"  asked  the  Major,  pointing  out  of  the  window  to 
a  large  crude  water  wheel,  with  its  tin-cupped  circumference,  that  was 
slowly  revolving,  propelled  by  the  waters  of  the  Arkansas,  along  whose 
ri^ht  bank  the  train  was  speeding. 

"Yes.  It  is  one  of  the  hundreds  used  all  along  this  river,  and  other 
rapid  streams." 

At  this  point  Sir  John,  who  had  been  an  attentive  listener,  remember- 
ing the  "modus  operandi"  of  summoning  the  porter,  leaned  over  and 
pressed  the  button,  saying  : 

"Gentlemen,  I  think  it  is  about  time  that  I  was  settling  that  'Span- 
ish Peak  account.'" 

Thi.s  episode  wae  enjoyed  all  around,  and  in  a  moment  the  porter  ap- 
peared ;  at  the  same  time,  the  train-boy  came  swinging  along,  calling  out 
his  wares:  "Colorado  fruit,  gents?" 

Tlif  (  tolonel  bougfrl  a  supply  and  shared  it  with  his  friends. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  tins  fruit  is  grown  in  Colorado?  It  is  very  fine, 
and  this  apple  is  certainly  delicious." 

"  Colorado  grows  the  best  of  fruits,"  replied  the  Colonel.  "Canon City 
is  famous  for  its  orchards,  being  especially  noted  for  its  apple  crop.    Pears 


ay 

are  also  grown.    All  of  these  fruits  thrive  well  at  altitudes  of  6,000  feet, 
and  less." 

"  Is  Cafion  City  the  only  fruit-growing  section?" 

"By  no  means.  Montrose,  Delta  and  Grand  Junction  are  very  suc- 
cessful in  this  direction.  Apples  and  peaches  overshadow  all  other  fruits 
on  the  Western  Slope  in  their  abundance,  as  well  as  in  quality,  while 
apricots,  nectarines  and  quinces  grow  well  in  the  last  named  localities,  as 
do  also  plums  and  cherries." 

The  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad  runs  one  hundred  miles  along  the 
Valley  of  the  Gunnison,  through  the  fruit  belt,  and  sixty-five  miles 
through  the  Valley  of  the  Grand  River.  ,  There  is  an  immense  area  of 
land  in  Mesa,  Delta  and  Montrose  counties,  which  in  altitude,  climate, 
soils  and  water  is  exceptionally  well  adapted  to  fruit  culture.  These  im- 
portant facts  are  inducing  a  large  immigration  to  the  Western  Slope, 
where  the  finest  opportunities  exist  for  the  horticulturist.  At  present 
Colorado  can  consume  more  than  double  the  amount  of  fruit  it  raises,  and 
the  markets  afford  a  high  price  for  all  varieties,  but  with  the  immense 
area  of  fruit  land  open  for  sale  in  the  Valley  of  the  Grand  River,  and  sur- 
rounding Grand  Junction,  as  well  as  in  Montrose  and  Delta  counties, 
there  will,  in  time,  be  a  fruit  industry  built  up  that  will  equal  that  of 
California.  In  1893,  a  single  fifteen-acre  fruit  farm  in  the  Grand  River 
Valley  yielded  $3,800  in  peaches,  pears,  cherries,  plums,  apricots  and  small 
fruits.     The  total  product  of  the  state  last  year  amounted  to  $2,250,000. 

"I  can  see,  from  what  you  say,  that  the  agriculturist  and  the  horticul- 
turist have  an  excellent  opportunity  in  Colorado,  but  how  about  the 
small  farmer?" 

"His  opportunities  here  are  of  the  very  best,  owing  to  the  great  de» 
mand  for  his  products,  and  the  certainty  of  his  crops.  Around  all  the 
cities  and  towns  of  the  state  are  clustered  the  holdings  of  the  small  farmer 
varying  in  extent  from  five  to  twenty  acres.  Vegetables  and  small  fruits 
are  very  prolific  and  command  good  prices,  but  at  present  the  garden 
product  does  not  supply  the  demands  of  the  cities  and  mining  districts. 
Owing  to  these  conditions,  there  are  great  opportunities  in  Colorado  for 
the  farmer  with  little  capital;  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  poultry  in- 
dustry. Why,  Colorado  imported  eggs  and  poultry  last  year  amounting 
to  over  a  million  dollars." 

"Is  it  possible?" 

"Statistics  prove  it,  and  yon  can  gather  from  this  fact  what  an  open- 
ing there  is  in  this  direction,  as  at  present  the  home  poultry  product  is 
only  about  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  demand." 

"Excuse  me  for  interrupting."  said  the  Major,  "but  a  moment  ago 
you  spoke  of  alfalfa  and  other  forage  plants ;  this  suggests  that  Colorado 
should  be  a  good  state  for  the  dairyman." 


"One  of  the  best.  There  are  not  yet  enough 
milch  cows  kept  in  Colorado  to  supply  the 
local  demand  for  dairy  products,  and  the  state 
is  sending  away  about  one  million  dollars  per 
annum  for  butter,  cheese  and  milk  consumed. 
( >t  course,  this  demand  is  increasing  with  the 
increase  of  population,  and  therefore  there  is 
no  branch  of  small  farming  that  will  pay  better 
than  this,  and  certainly  none  that  is  more 
needed." 

"How  do  the  prices  of  land  range  in  the 
state?" 
••Well,  fruit  lands  will  run  from  twenty-five  to  three  hundred  dollars 
per  acre,  according  to  location  and  water.  Good  agricultural  lands, 
under  ditch,  will  run  pretty  well  from  ten  to  twenty-five  dollars  an  acre, 
while  hay  and  grazing  lands  cost  from  $1.25  (the  Government  minimum 
price)  to  $15.  It  all  depends,  of  course,  upon  the  character  of  the  land, 
its  I  nation  and  water  facilities." 

The  Major  looked  out  of  the  window  at  the  turbulent  waters  of  the 
Arkansas,  and  said,  "I  think,  Judge,  that  there  is  no  lack  of  irrigation 
here  ? " 

"No,"  replied  the  Judge.  "This  is  known  as  the  Arkansas  Valley ;  it 
is  a  strip  of  fine  agricultural  land  extending  along  the  river  the  most  part 
of  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  It  is  not  very  wide,  but  what  there  is  of  it 
is  very  fertile." 

The  rolling  hills  to  the  right,  the  broken  ranges  of  the  Rocky  Mount- 
ain f(  i.  .thills  beyond,  the  river  to  the  left,  characterized  by  peculiar  castel- 
lated lock  formations,  formed  a  scene  both  picturesque  and  enchanting. 

Afl  the  Judge  ceased  speaking,  the  train  rolled  into  Florence  and  came 
to  a  standstill,  and  the  gentlemen  stepped  out  upon  the  platform  of  the 
sleeper  in  order  to  get  a  view  of  the  town. 

"<  tentlemen,"  exclaimed  Sir  John,  "I  am  losing  confidence  in  you." 
'In  what    respect?"   asked  the  Judge,  earnestly,  while  the  Colonel 
looked  his  surprise  at  such  an  accusation. 

"You  have  apparently  been  giving  the  Major  and  I  all  the  information 
in  your  possession  about  Colorado,  and  yet  I  see  evidences  before  me  that 
you  have  kept  back  a  most  important  fact." 
•■  What  evidences?" 

"Those  tall  derricks  over  yonder.  They  tell  me  something  you  have 
not  mentioned.     There  are  coal  oil  deposits  in  your  state." 

"Indeed  there  are,"  replied  the  Colonel.    "And  just  at  present  Flor- 


n 

ence  is  the  center  of  that  industry,  although  there  are  other  undeveloped 
fields  in  the  state.  Last  year  the  product  of  petroleum  was  756,000  bar- 
rels. This  is  the  only  section  west  of  Ohio  where  petroleum  in  paying 
bodies  is  found,  having  paraffine  for  its  base.  The  petroleum  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Ohio  yields  seventy-five  percent,  illuminating  oil  and  twenty- 
five  per  cent,  of  paraffine,  the  latter  being,  by  far,  the  more  valuable 
product.     In  the  Florence  oil  the  above  figures  are  exactly  reversed." 

"Has  any  natural  gas  been  discovered?" 

"Yes.  at  ( ivand  Junction,  quite  recently,  and  the  results  are  going  to 
be  of  great  importance." 

"  This  must  be  a  coal  district? 

"Yes,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  state;  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  has 
three  or  fonr  branch  lines  radiating  from  Florence  into  as  many  extensive 
coal  measures,  and  the  shipments  of  coal  are  very  large." 

"What  is  the  cause  of  all  tb3  bustle  and  activity  I  see  here  ;  the  erec- 
tion of  new  buildings  and  the  crowds  of  people  in  the  streets?" 

"Florence  is  the  junctional  point  of  the  Florence  &  Cripple  Creek 
Railroad,  the  direct  connecting  line  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad 
reaching  the  world-renowned  gold  fields  of  Cripple  ("reek.  The  interesl  in 
the  ('ripple  Creek  district  has  naturally  attracted  the  attention  of  merchants, 
smelters,  investors  and  live  business  men,  who  recognize  the  fact  that  Flor- 
ence is  sure  to  become  a  large  center  of  activity  in  the  near  future." 

"Did  not  the  completion  of  the  Cripple  Creek  road  materially  assist  the 
Cripple  Creek  district?" 

"With  the  solid  through  daily  train  service  from  Denver,  through  Col. 
orado  Springs  and  Pueblo,  making  Cripple  Creek  within  easy  and  comfortable 
access.and  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  system  open  for  the  carrying  of  ores  from 
the  camps  and  coal  and  other  supplies  in.  the  COSl  of  transportation  has  been 
greatly  reduced  on  both  passengers  and  freight,  which  lias  given  new  im- 
petus to  these  wonderful  gold  fields." 

"What  snow-crowned  mountain  is  that  we  see  yonder'.-'"  asked  Sir 
John,  pointing  to  the  northeast,  as  the  train  pulled  out  of  the  station. 

"That,"  replied  the  Colonel,  "is  your  old  friend.  Pike's  Peak.  You 
now  see  its  western  slope,  however,  and  this  is  the  last  view  we  will  catch 
of  it  in  our  westward  journey." 

"Some  time  ago,  Judge,"  said  the  Major,  "you  spoke  of  the  trip 
'  Around  the  Circle ;'  will  you  explain  wdiat  that  is?  " 

"Certainly.  It  is  an  extensive  journey  of  about  a  thousand  miles 
through  the  most  interesting  features  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is  called 
the  Circle,  because  in  making  the  journey  you  almosl  describe  a  circle. 
Not  having  to  double  back  over  any  of  the  road,  it  has  become  a  favorite 
trip  for  tourists  and  is  extensively  patronized.  Originally  the  .journey  was 
from  Denver  to  Si  1  vert  on  by  the  "Denver  &  Rio  Grande'  road,  thence  to 
Ouray  by  the   'Rainbow  Route'   and  the  Ouray  Stage  Line,  thence  to 


Tr"""*" 


43 


Lite  A 
TOft 

(SAM' 


Montrose  and  back  over 
the  Marshall  Pass  Line  of 
the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande. 
Recently  the  Rio  Grande  South- 
ern has  been  built  from  Durango 
to  Ridgway,  so  now  a  choice  of 
routes  can    be    taken    between 
Dnrango  and  Ouray." 

"Is  this  such  a  very  wonderfiil  journey?" 
"It  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  most  won- 
derful tours  in  the  world.  A  well  known 
author  has  said,  '  Take  Toltec  Gorg<-j.  as  a  cen- 
tral point,  and  within  a  radius  of  two  hunched  miles  draw  a  circle,  and 
within  the  confines  of  that  magic  ring  will  be  found  more  grand  and  won- 
derful scenery  than  there  is  in  any  similar  circle  anywhere  on  the  face  of 
the  globe.' " 

"  What  are  some  of  these  wonders?  " 

"  It  would  be  impossible  to  name  them  all.  There  are  sixty  especially 
attractive  features  on  the  trip.  The  most  noted,  however,  are  La  Veta 
Pass,  Sierra  Blanca,  Toltec  Gorge,  Animas  Canon,  Bear  Creek  Falls,  Cur- 
recanti  Needle,  Black  Canon,  Marshall  Pass,  and  as  a  culmination  to  all 
this  grandeur,  the  Royal  Gorge,  which  you  will  see  yourself." 
"  The  list  is  certainly  attractive,"  said  Sir  John. 

"  The  journey  is  a  thousand  times  more  so,"  exclaimed  the  Colonel. 
"In  addition  to  the  attractions  mentioned  by  the  Judge,  I  would  like  to 
call  your  attention  to  the  marvelous  Cliff  Dwellings  accessible  by  the  Rio 
Grande  Southern  from  Durango.  By  this  route  it  is  an  all-rail  journey 
'Around  the  Circle.'  By  going  to  Silverton,  there  is  an  eight  mile 
journey  over  a  magnificent  toll  road  down  the  mountains  by  the  '  Concord 
Stage,'  one  of  the  few  stage  lines  left  in  Colorado.  Many  enjoy  the 
novelty  of  the  stage  ride,  but  it's  a  hard  matter  to  determine  which  route 
is  the  more  attractive  after  all,  as  the  scenery  of  the  Rio  Grande  Southern 
is  magnificent  beyond  description." 

"Is  the  trip  'Around  the  Circle,'  as  you  call  it,  an  expensive  one?" 
"Not  at  all.     The  railroads  make  an  especially  low  rate  for  the  trip 
in  the  summer  and  fall,  from  May  till  November,  I  believe,  and  allow 
plenty  of  time,  with  the  privilege  of  stopping  off  at  pleasure  at  all  the 
points  of  interest." 

"What  is  known  of  the  Cliff  Dwellings?" 

11  These  are  the  ruined  homes  of  an  extinct  race  who  built  their  castles 
of  hewn  stone  in  the  clefts  of  almost  inaccessible  canons.  Scientists  are 
greatly  interested  in  these  relics  of  an  ancient  people,  and  the  Cafion  of 
the  Mancos,  where  the  dwellings  abound,  is  visited  during  the  summer 


44 

by  hundreds  of  tourists  attracted  by  these  prehistoric  ruins.  Excavations 
ar<  ci  >ntinually  being  made  and  many  curious  relics  are  found  which  give 
an  idea  of  the  maimers  and  customs  of  this  strange  people.  The  interest 
is  growing  as  more  is  learned  of  this  lost  race,  and  it  is  quite  a  common 
occurrence  now  for  parties  to  be  made  up  expressly  to  visit  the  Cliff 
1  >welling8." 

The  train  stopped  and  the  porter  announced : 

"Canon  City,  gem'men." 

"This."  said  the  Judge,  "is  a  very  pretty  little  city,  around  which  are 
some  of  the  finest  orchards  in  the  state  and  it  is  a  great  shipping  point 
for  fruits  of  all  kinds,  especially  apples  and  strawberries,  and  is  a  delight- 
ful place  for  invalids  and  pleasure  seekers,  both  summer  and  winter." 

The  train  proceeded  upon  its  way,  and  just  as  it  was  leaving  the 
suburbs  of  the  city,  the  Major  asked  : 

"What  is  that  large  stone  building  to  our  right?" 

"That.*'  replied  the  Judge,  "is  the  State  Penitentiary." 

"A  fine  building,"  said  Sir  John. 

"Yes.  Colorado's  state  institutions  are  all  well  housed.  The  Insane 
Asylum  is  at  Pueblo  ;  the  Institute  for  the  Deaf -Mute  and  Blind  at  Colo 
rado  Springs  ;  the  Reformatory  at  Buena  Vista;  the  Reform  School  and 
the  School  of  Mines  at  Golden  ;  the  State  Agricultural  School  at  Fort 
Collins;  the  Soldiers'  Home  at  Monte  Vista,  and  the  State  University  at 
Boidder.    All  have  excellent  buildings  and  are  excellently  managed." 

By  this  time  there  was  a  great  stir  in  the  train,  the  passengers  were 
eagerly  looking  out  of  the  windows  and  clustering  upon  the  platforms  of 
the  cars.  The  porter  approached  the  gentlemen  and  said:  "  We's  comin' 
to  de  Royal  Gorge,  gem'men.  I's  fixed  some  camp  stools  f o'  yo'  on  de  back 
plal  form,  wha'  yo  can  see  de  grandes'  sight  on  de  whole  round  earf."  The 
party  hastened  back  to  the  place  reserved  for  them  by  the  porter,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  train  swung  into  the  shadows  of  the  Grand  Canon  of  the 
Arka 1 1 

The  scene  is  one  that  no  words  can  describe,  no  photograph  reproduce 
no  artisi  paint.  Its  fame  grows  greater  and  greater  with  each  advancing 
year,  for  no  one  ran  behold  it  without  treasuring  its  magnificence  in  his 
memory,  and  endeavoring,  though  vainly,  to  impart  the  impressions  there 
received  to  friends  who  have  not  had  the  privilege  of  looking  upon  this 
masterpiece  of  Nature's  grandest  works.  The  canon  is  seven  miles  in 
length,  and  through  it  the  Arkansas  River  pours  its  waters,  gathered  in 
the  mountains,  out  upon  the  plains.  The  walls  vary  in  height,  but  are 
2,600  feel  at  the  highest  point,  reaching  the  culmination  of  grandeur  at 
the  point  where  a  steel  bridge,  swung  between  the  walls  of  the  canon  and 
parallel  with  the  stream,  gives  passage  for  the  railroad:  This  is  the 
Royal  Gorge. 


?  "*C 


t:> 

After  the  train  had  passed 

through    the     "Gorge"    the 

part;  remained  Beated    upon    the 

platform,  enjoying  the  delightfn] 

air  just  crisp  by  a  tinge  of  coolness  blown  from 

the  snow  peaks  of  the  mountains.     The  scenery 

had  changed  from  the  wildness  of  the  canon  to  the  rolling  pine-clad  hills 

thai  abut  on  the  eastern  verge  of  the  Great  South  Park. 

"What  are  those  peculiar  conical  structures  of  white?"  asked  the 
Major,  pointing  to  the  right. 

"Those  are  'charcoal  ovens,'"  replied  the  Colonel.  "The  manufacture 
of  charcoal  is  widely  distributed  over  the  state,  and  the  industry  reaches 
large  proportions.  Charcoal  is  extensively  used  in  smelting  and  all  min- 
eral assaying,  which  makes  the  local  demand  very  great.  Generally 
fallen  timber  is  used,  free  of  expense  to  the  charcoal  makers,  but  when- 
ever they  find  it  necessary  to  use  live  trees,  they  pay  the  state  or  the 
government  an  agreed  price  on  the  amount  employed." 

"Does  Colorado  produce  much  timber  for  general  uses,  as  such?" 
asked  Sir  John. 

"Yes.  There  is  an  abundance  of  pine  and  spruce  timber  in  the  state 
for  all  the  rougher  uses  of  this  nature,  such  as  are  used  in  the  mines. 
bridge  timbers,  railroad  ties,  etc.  The  finer  grades  of  lumber,  and  all 
hard  woods  are  imported.  Pine  lands  are  well  distributed  throughout  the 
state.  There  is  one  tract  of  100,000  acres  on  the  San  Juan  Mountains. 
through  which  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad  passes.  The  timber 
lands  are  being  worked  to  a  great  extent,  and  produce  about  8,000,000  feet 
of  lumber  to  each  section.  There  is  a  steady  demand  for  this  product  at 
good  prices.'' 

"I  should  think  these  dry  rocky  hillsides  would  be  suitable  for  sheep," 
said  the  Major,  musingly. 

"  There  is  no  country  better  suited  for  that  industry,"  answered  the 
Judge.  "Foot-rot  is  unknown,  and  the  general  health  of  the  animals 
perfect." 

"Aren't  you  a  long  distance  from  market?"  queried  Sir  John. 

"We  cannot  supply  the  home  market  with  mutton,  and  as  for  wool, 
we  are  only  two  cents  a  head  further  from  New  England  than  the  Ohio 
sheep  raiser,  and  it  costs  him  six  times  as  much  to  raise  Ins  wool." 

"What  is  the  cause  of  this  difference  in  expense?" 


46 

M  One  of  the  prime  advantages  is  that  this  is  largely  a  land  of  free 
grass.  The  sheep  can  graze  upon  this  for  eight  months  in  the  year,  and 
be  fed  with  hay  from  cheap  lands  during  the  winter.  In  the  East  and 
Middle  States  grass  costs  money  and  the  sheep  have  to  be  carefully  fed 
for  at  least  five  months." 

"  How  important  is  this  industry?" 

"  There  are  about  two  million  head  of  sheep  in  Colorado  now,  produc- 
ing ten  million  pounds  of  wool  annually.  The  profit  is  estimated  at  about 
twenty  per  cent,  on  the  amount  of  money  invested." 

"  How  many  sheep  can  Colorado  support?" 

"  At  least  twenty-five  millions.  They  can  be  raised  in  any  part  of  the 
state,  either  in  great  herds  upon  the  range,  or  in  small  flocks  upon  the 
farm." 

"  Do  they  raise  swine  to  any  extent?"  asked  Sir  John. 

"Hog  raising,"  replied  the  Judge,  "is  an  industry  quite  new  to 
Colorado,  but  it  is  becoming  an  important  branch  of  farm  production. 
Hog  cholera,  the  bane  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  is  absolutely  unknown, 
and  on  account  of  the  altitude  and  climatic  conditions  cholera  could  not 
exist  even  if  imported.  It  has  been  discovered  that  alfalfa  is  even  better 
than  corn  for  fattening  purposes.  Peas  are  extensively  raised  and  are 
considered  cheap  fattening  food,  as  is  also  the  sugar  beet.  Recently  this 
matter  has  been  given  more  attention  on  account  of  the  large  profits  in 
pork  and  the  industry  is  certain  of  a  very  large  increase." 

"  Do  you  raise  sugar  beets?" 

"Oh,  yes,  althotigh  this  also  is  a  new  industry.  Satisfactory  experi- 
ments have  been  made  in  this  direction  in  Montrose  and  Delta  counties, 
and  the  beets  are  shipped  to  a  sugar  factory  at  Lehi,  Utah,  with  a  satis- 
factory profit.  It  is  quite  likely  that  a  factory  of  this  character  will  be 
established  in  Western  Colorado,  as  the  soil  of  Mesa,  Delta  and  Montrose 
counties  is  especially  fitted  for  this  purpose,  as  is  also  that  of  the  San 
Luis  Valley.  Because  of  the  high  per  cent,  of  sugar  in  the  beets  which 
these  lands  produce  capital  has  become  interested  in  these  particular 
Localities." 

"Is  that  a  mine  on  the  hillside  yonder?"  asked  the  Major. 

"No,  that  is  a  limestone  quarry,  and  although  it  is  not  a  mine,  its 
product  is  largely  used  in  the  mining  industry.  Limerock  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  of  fluxes  and  each  smelter  in  the  state  uses  from  four  to  six 
car  loads  a  day  of  this  product.  Probably  ten  thousand  tons  of  this  rock 
are  mined  each  year.  Lime  is  also  manufactured  from  this  rock,  and,  of 
course,  vast  quantities  of  it  are  used  in  building.  By  the  way,  we  also 
manufacture  a  very  fine  quality  of  cement  in  Colorado." 

Here  the  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  Colonel,  who  is  an  en- 
thusiast on  the  subject  of  scenery.    He  called  the  attention  of  the  party 


47 


■HUNtr 


to  the  grand    TAOSI,  TALL  PtLMClKS  WlhR  YOWtU 

view   which 

opened  before  them.      The  serrated  summits  of  the 

Sangre  de  Cristo  range,  crowned    with    perpetual 

snow,  rose  clearly  denned  against  the  western  sky, 

while  to  the  northwest  ward  swept  the  magnificent 

peaks  of  the  Collegiate  range.    In  the  center  of  the 

picture    towered    tin;  fire-searred    summit    of    '  Old 

Ouray.'  an  extinct  volcano,  supported  on  the  left  by  Shavano,  a  brother 

mountain,  whose  fires  had  died  out  long  ages  ago.     While  looking  at  this 

magnificent  spectacle,  the  train  rattled  over  a  countless  number  of  switches, 

and  on  either  side  innumerable  tracks  were  seen. 

"What's  this?"  asked  Sir  John. 

"The  freight  transfer  yards  of  the  D.  &  R.  G.,"  replied  the  Colonel. 
"  We  are  now  about  three  miles  from  Salida." 

Soon  the  train  passed  the  handsome  hospital  building  erected  by  the 
'  D.  &  R.  G.'  road  for  the  care  of  the  sick  and  injured  employes  of  the 
road,  and,  rolling  by  the  immense  round-house  of  the  company,  came  to  a 
stop  at  the  depot,  and  the  party  walked  into  the  refreshment  room  of  the 
Hotel  Monte  Cristo — another  one  of  the  elegant  dining  stations  of  the 
road.  Attracted  by  the  inviting  appearance  of  the  dining-room,  the 
gentlemen  regretted  that  the  train  arrived  at  such  an  hour  that  it  was 
not  possible  for  them  to  take  their  dinner  here. 


I 


m 

% 


-  "■/■.j-'*  -^>^ 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  INTEREST  DOES  NOT  FLAG. 


FTER  leaving  the  hotel  the  gentlemen  walked  up  and  down  the 
platform  for  a  few  moments,  while  the  baggage  and  express  were 
being  taken  off  and  put  on.  They  paused  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
\  long  platform  to  obtain  a  view  of  the  handsome  town  of  Salida, 
^  lying  along  either  bank  of  the  Arkansas  river.  The  town  pre- 
sented a  very  attractive  appearance,  and  called  forth  many  ex- 
pressions of  praise  on  the  part  of  the  Major  and  Sir  John,  both  of 
whom  were  charmed  by  the  magnificence  of  the  mountain  view,  and  sur- 
prised at  the  evidences  of  thrift,  prosperity  and  good  taste  which  lay  be- 
fore them.  They  were  especially  pleased  with  the  appearance  of  the 
elegant  residence  portion  of  the  city  lying  on  the  Mesa. 

The  conductor  called  "All  aboard"  and  the  party  resumed  their  places 
on  the  rear  platform  of  the  Pullman. 

"Colonel,"  exclaimed  Sir  John,  "I've  been  wondering  what  that  third 
rail  in  the  track  means.  It  has  been  with  us  all  the  way  from  Denver, 
and  I  see  it  is  still  with  us." 

■And  it  will  stay  with  us  until  we  get  to  Leadville,"  replied  the  Col- 
onel. "That  rail  makes  this  both  a  standard  and  a  narrow  gauge  railroad, 
and  is  necessary,  because  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  has  many  feeding 
lines  extending  all  through  the  mountains  to  mining  towns  and  shipping 
c.-7iti  r>  that  are  bnilt  with  the  narrow  gauge.  Originally  the  entire  line 
it  three-fool  urauge.  The  third  rail  enables  the  road  to  maintain  a 
through  service  from  Denver  and  Pueblo  to  all  points  on  its  system, 
though  they  may  lie  situated  on  a  narrow  gauge  branch.  The  geograph- 
ical -it  nation  of  the  D.  &  R.  G.  road,  making  it  a  very  important  link  for 
the  eonduct  of  the  trans-continental  traffic  of  the  country,  made  it  neces- 
sary that  it  should  be  of  the  standard  gauge.  With  the  customary  enter- 
vhich  characterizes  this  company,  this  emergency  was  promptly 
met.  Therefore  the  line  was  broadened  from  Denver  to  Grand  Junction, 
by  way  of  Leadville,  and  in  1890  the  D.  &  R.  G.  became  equal  in  all  re- 
spects, as  to  its  through  service,  with  any  of  the  other  trans-continental 


.JlTO&  CURM  ©PALL  CiKA^aiPfeVR  - 
:TFtt  ROYAL  OOlMifc 

lines  of  the  conti- 
nent. This  sleeper  goes  through  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, you  know." 

"Is  the  through  line  the  only  standard  gauge 
that  the  road  has?" 

"No;  in  addition  they  have  a  standard 
gauge  to  Trinidad,  and  to  all  the  connecting  coal 
branches  in  that  section,  besides  being  standard 
gauge  into  Manitou  and  Aspen,  and  the  coal 
branches  in  the  vicinity  of  Florence." 

"What  particular  districts  are  reached  by  the 
narrow  gauge  lines?" 

"  The  mining  districts  on  the  Blue  River  above 
Leadville,  and  from  Salida  there  is  an  extensive 
system  running  in  the  San  Juan  country  and  radiating  through  the 
southern  part  of  the  state.  I  have  already  described  the  various  branches 
in  the  San  Luis  Valley  terminating  at  Santa  Fe  and  Durango.  From 
Salida  to  Grand  Junction  extends  what  may  be  called  the  main  trunk 
of  the  central  portion  of  the  narrow  gauge  systems,  which  after  passing 
over  the  Continental  Divide  at  Marshall  Pass  and  through  the  famous 
Black  Caflon,  descends  into  and  penetrates  a  very  rich  agricultural, 
pastoral  and  horticultural  region,  with  Gunnison,  Montrose,  Delta  and 
Grand  Junction  as  the  leading  towns  and  sliipping  places.  This  line 
is  deservedly  famous  among  tourists  for  its  glorious  scenery,  and  forms  a 
part  of  the  wonderful  trip  'Around  the  Circle.'  There  are  several  feed- 
ing branches  connecting  with  the  main  trunk:  that  from  Poncha  extends 
to  Monarch,  in  the  Monarch  mining  district,  another  from  Mears  over  tin- 
range  to  Alamosa  and  the  San  Luis  Valley,  a  third  from  Gunnison  to  the 
anthracite  mines  of  Crested  Unite  and  the  new  coal  district  of  Ruby,  and 
one  from  Sapinero  to  Lake  ( 'ity.  with  its  great  gold  and  silver  mines,  as  well 
as  the  new  gold  discoveries  of  Goose  Creek.  From  Montrose  a  branch  fol- 
lows up  the  fertile  Vooiey  of  the  Uncompahgre  River,  penetrates  the 
Uncompahgre  Caflon  and  terminates  at  Ouray,  one  of  themost  beautifully 
situated  towns  in  the  world.  This  branch  also  connects  at  Ridgeway  with 
the  Rio  Grande  Southern  road,  which  passes  through  some  of  the  most 
magnificent  scenery  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  extends  to  Durango,  thus 
forming  a  double  bine  to  this  important  city." 

"You  have  mentioned  Durango  so  frequently  in  your  conversation  that 
I  infer  it  must  be  a  place  of  some  note,"  said  the  Major. 

"It  is  the  metropolitan  town  of  southwestern  Colorado,"  replied 
the  Colonel,  "  and  has  great  prospects  for  the  future.  It  has  a  p>  »pulati.  m 
now  of  about  8,000,  and  is  growing  rapidly." 


.-.1 

"  What  is  the  cause  of  all  this  prosperity?" 

"Its  great  advantages  asa  business  center.  It  is  situate]  near  one  of 
the  great  coal  fields  of  the  state,  ami  has  an  almudanl  Bupply  of  excellent 
timber.  It  is  the  commercial  center  of  fchevasl  grazing  and  agricultural 
regions  of  the  Montezuma  Valley  ami  the  Ote  reservation,  as  well»a&  the 
mining  districts  of  the  Great  Southwest.  This,  with  tin-  recenl  discovery 
of  large  and  rich  gold  deposits  in  the  La  Plata  district,  which  will  be 
vigorously  developed  this  spring,  must  make  Durango  one  of  the  mosl 
prosperous  cities  in  the  stat.-.  It  has  two  smelters  in  full  operation,  which 
are  kept  constantly  busy  reducing  the  ores  of  the  Silverton,Red  Mountain 
and  other  San  Juan  districts.  It  is  also  largely  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  coke.  It  has  eight  business  establishments  carrying  stocks  of 
$100,000  in  value  each,  and  as  many  more  that  carry  Btocks  valued  at 
$50,000  each.  The  wholesale  and  retail  business  of  this  town  during  the 
last  year  exceeded  $4,000,000,  so  you  see  Durango  is  not  only  a  town  of 
great  expectations,  but  really  a  place  of  greal  achievements.  It  i>  a 
delightful  place  of  residence,  and  has  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  pure 
water.  From  here  the 'D.  &  R.  G.'  road  extends  through  the  Animas 
Canon,  one  of  Nature's  greatest  scenic  wonders,  to  Silverton,  a  thriving 
mining  town  filled  with  prosperous  and  enterprising  people." 

"Silverton  is  the  southern  terminus,  is  it  not  '.-" 

"Yes,  it  might  be  termed  the  terminus,  but  it  is.  after  all.  niorepropeily 
speaking.  a  point  in  the  great  circle  of  this  narrow  gauge  system,  for 
from  here  we  take  the  Silverton  Railroad,  known  as  the  'Rainbow 
Route,'  over  Red  Mountain  to  fronton,  from  which  point  the  stage  road 
leads  down  to  Ouray,  at  which  point  we  again  strike  the  narrow  gauge 
system  of  the  'D.  &  R.  G.'  I  have  already  spoken  of  this  stage  road,  but 
1  want  to  say  right  here  that  if  you  ever  have  the  opportunity,  or  can 
ever  make  the  opportunity,  don't  fail  to  take  thisride  ;  it  is  the  experience 
of  a  lifetime." 

"  You  spoke  of  Ouray  as  a  beautiful  place?" 

"Yes,  it  is  considered  one  of  the  most  beautiful  towns  in  the  mountains. 
It  is  situated  in  a  little  valley  surrounded  by  greal  cliffs  of  rocks  banded 
with  variegated  colors,  and  is  a  most  delightful  summer  resort.  A-  a 
business  place  it  is  the  center  of  a  large  and  rich  gold  and  silver  mining 
district." 

"I  had  no  idea  that  the  'D.  &  R.  <i.'  had  such  an  extended  system," 
said  Sir  John.     "  How  many  mile-  has  it  ?" 

The  Judge  hesitated  for  a  reply,  when  the  Colonel  exclaimed.  "By 
the  way,  Judge,  I  had  occasion  to  look  that  up  the  other  day,  and  am 
happy  to  say  that  we  are  not  checkmated  yet  in  this  game  "'  questions." 

"  Well,  give  it  to  us,"  replied  the  Judge,  smiling. 

"  There  are  six  hundred  and  seventy  miles  of  standard  gauge;   nine 


52 


Will  adapted  to 

JrfMT  CWLTW 


hundred  and  eighty-seven 
narrow  gauge,  belonging  to 
the  'D.  &  R.  G.'  proper, 
and  with  the  addition  of  the 
Rio  Grande  Southern  and 
Silverton  Railroads,  which 
are  practically  a  part  of  the 
system,  the  length  of  the 
lines  in  Colorado  and  New  Mexico  is  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 
This  does  not  include  the  Rio  Grande  Western,  which  forms  a  part  of 
their  great  Trans-Continental  Line,  though  operated  separately,  and  has  a 
mileage  in  Utah  of  five  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  making  a  grand  total 
of  what  is  known  as  the  Rio  Grande  system  of  twenty-three  hundred  and 
seventy  miles." 

?  During  this  somewhat  extended  and  discursive  conversation,  the  train 
had  been  bowling  along  through  the  beauties  of  Brown's  Canon,  up  the 
Valley  of  the  Arkansas  with  the  bright  river  constantly  in  view,  and  the 
Collegiate  range  of  mountains  drawing  nearer  as  each  mile-post  is  passed. 
The  train  swept  around  a  broad  curve  in  the  Arkansas  River  and  stopped 
for  a  moment  at  the  attractive  little  city  of  Buena  Vista. 

A  short  stroll  on  the  depot  platform  gave  an  opportunity  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  town,  which,  in  addition  to  its  beautiful  situation,  possesses 
many  attraction  of  its  own. 

"This  is  a  pretty  place,"  said  the  Major.  "What  are  its  business 
interests V" 

"It  is  surrounded  by  a  large  agricultural  and  hay  producing  country, 
and  its  people  follow  agricultural  and  horticultural  pursuits  mostly," 
replied  the  Judge.  "Besides  it  is  contiguous  to  good  mines,  notably  the 
g<  >M  mines  of  Crooked  Creek.  Buena  Vista  is  especially  adapted  to  manu- 
facturing  interests  and  will  some  day  become  a  manufacturing  center. 
Near  this  place  the  Denver  paper  mills  have  saw  mills.  The  pulp  made 
from  Colorado  spruce,  grown  at  an  altitude  of  9,000  feet,  has  a  finer 
grain  than  the  timber  of  Wisconsin,  and  makes  a  finer  news  print 
paper.  Another  element  of  prosperity  is  found  in  its  nearness  to  the 
Cottonwood  Hot  Springs,  which  are  highly  medicinal  and  the  resort  of 
many  invalids." 


As  the  Judge  ceased  speaking  the  train  li.i/aii  to  hi,, \ ,    oul  oi   thi 
tinii  and  the  party  resumed  their  places  in  the  Pullman  car. 

"That  is  the  Collegiate  range  of  mountains,"  Baid  the  Judge,  m-  <t i > m- 
ing  to  the  massiye  peaks  looming  ap  from  the  level  plain. 

"Why  <!<»  they  call  it  the  <  lollegiate  range?"  inquired  sir  John. 

"Because  the  highest  peaks  are  named  after  Leading  colleges  in  the 
United  States,"  answered  the  Colonel.  '•  For  example,  thai  peak  is  known 
as  Princeton;  that  other,  yonder,  Yale,  and  thai  one,  Harvard.  These 
peaks  are  each  over  14,000  feet  in  height,  and  all  of  them  excel  Pike's 
Peak  in  altitude." 

•'This  rapid  river  suggests  to  me  that  Colorado  must  have  an  abund- 
ance of  water  power'/" 

"Yes,  especially  in  the  mountains.  It  is  already  utilized  to  a  great 
extent  to  drive  the  dynamos  of  large  electric  plants  in  the  mountain  town-, 
both  for  illumination  and  the  economical  working  of  mines.  The  many 
rapid  streams  all  over  the  state  make  the  possibilities  Eor  it-  use  in  manu- 
facturing, applied  directly  or  in  combination  with  electricity,  something 
enormous." 

"  This  must  be  one  of  the  parks  that  you  sp(  >ke  >  >f  '.'  " 

"Yes,  this  is  the  upper  Arkansas  Valley,  a  continuation  of  the  Greal 
South  Park.  By  the  way,  there  Lt  a  regular  chain  of  these  parks  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  of  <  iolorado,  extending  from  the  northern  to  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  state.  Their  names  indicate  their  geographical  position, 
being  called  respectively  North  Park,  Middle  Park,  South  Park,  and  San 
Luis  Valley." 

"These  parks  must  furnish  excellent  pasturag 

"They  doin  some  instances,  as  for  example  in  the  South  Park,  greal 
quantities  of  most  excellent  natural  hay  is  grown,  and  they  all  provide 
excellent  grazing  Lands." 

"Are  cattle  raised  extensively?"  asked  sir  John. 

"Yes,  but  not  to  the  extent  we  ased  to  raise  them  when  the  i\. 
were  free,  but  the  quality  much  more  than  makes  up  tor  the  quantity; 
still  there  are  about  a  million  head  of  cattle  in  Colorado  now.  PI 
stock  and  high  graded  cattle  are  the  rule  now,  and  the  profits  of  the 
business  have  been  Largely  increased  by  this  change.  Cattle  raising  is 
still,  and  will  always  continue  to  lie.  a  Large  industry  with  as,  and  each 
year  will  show  a  stead;  improvement  in  the  breeding  of  the  stock." 

It  was  now  growing  dark,  and  the  gentlemen  retired  to  their  comfort- 
able quarters  in  the  smoking  compartmenl  of  the  sleeper,  which  was  made 
bright  and  cheerful  by  the  brilliant  gas  Lighl  with  which  it  was  illuminated. 
Sir  John  looked  with  astonishment  at  the  glowing  light,  and  exclaimed—- 

"Surely  that  must  be  a  gas  light  ;  how  in  the  world  do  you  mana. 
have  it  in  your  railroad  cars  ?  " 


»L®©P^  STOOT  MP         Yankeeat'noa 
■:0sW$W  ChTTLk  ttm,"   laughed 

the    Colonel. 
'•The  entire  train,  even  the  baggage  car,  is  lighted 
with  gas." 
"But  where  the  deuce  does  it  come  from,  and  what 
kind  of  gas  is  it  ?  " 

' '  This  is  what  is  called  the  Pintsch  gas  system  ;  the 
gas  is  stored  in  a  tank  under  the  cars,  and  sent  through  burners  made  ex- 
pressly for  its  consumption." 

"  Indeed !  It  is  a  marked  improvement  over  any  light  I  have  seen  used 
on  cars." 

It  was  now  quite  dark,  and  Sir  John  turned,  in  evident  disappointment, 
from  the  window  with  the  remark — 

"I'm  so  interested  in  this  trip,  and  so  charmed  with  the  magnificent 
scenery,  that  I  regret  to  pass  over  any  of  ±.  during  the  night." 

"Why  not  stop  over  in  Leadville,  Sir  John,  and  resume  your  journey 
by  daylight  to-morrow?"  suggested  the  Colonel. 

"  But  my  ticket  won't  allow  that,  don't  you  know  ;  I  made  no  arrange- 
ments to  stop  off  when  I  secured  it." 

"  I  think  that  can  be  fixed  all  right,"  said  the  Colonel,  pressing  the 
button,  to  which  the  porter  promptly  responded.  "Charley,"  said  the 
Colonel  to  that  sable  servitor,  "  won't  you  ask  the  conductor  to  step  this 
way  a  moment  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  sah,"  answered  the  porter,  departing  quickly  on  his  errand. 
Sir  John  looked  rather  surprised  at  the  familiarity  of  the  Colonel's  ad- 
dress to  the  porter,  and,  in  response  to  the  look  the  Colonel  said,  "For 
convenience  we  assume  that  all  the  porters  are  named  Charley,  and  they 
answer  cheerfully  to  that  designation." 

The  conductor  entered  at  this  moment  and  the  Colonel  said,  "This 
gentleman  would  like  to  stop  over  at  Leadville  to-night,  provided  you  can 
arrange;  it  ;"  as  he  spoke  he  gave  him  Sir  John's  ticket.  The  conductor 
glanced  at  it  and  replied,  ' '  Stop-over-privileges-are-allowed-on-all-through- 
tickets-when-the-limit-of-time-pemiits-it."  With  this  remark,  which  was 
evidently  a  familiar  formulary,  the  conductor  made  a  few  hieroglyphics 
on  the  back  of  the  ticket  and  returned  it  to  Sir  John.  The  Major,  catch- 
ing the  idea,  suggested  that  if  the  Judge  and  the  Colonel  would  consent 
to  go  on  with  the  party,  he  would  also  stop  off  and  they  would  resume 
the  journey  from  Leadville  in  company.  The  suggestion  was  accepted 
unanimously,  and  the  conductor  arranged  matters  for  all  concerned. 

The  Colonel  and  the  Major  expressed  their  regret  that  on  account  of 
darkness  they  could  not  show  their  friends  the  great  gold  placers  near 


55 

Granite  station,  which  have  been  profitably  worked  for  the  last  t-w-e-n- 
t-y  y-e-a-r-s. 

The  train  stopped  at  Malta,  where  an  extra  engine  was  put  on  to  pull 
it  up  the  grade  into  Leadville.  Sir  John,  who  was  quick  to  observe, 
noticed  this  addition  and  said  :  "There  must  lie  quite  a  stiff  grade  here 
to  require  two  of  these  enormous  engines?" 

"Yes,"  said  the  Colonel,  "this,  as  I  remember,  is  a  three  percent, 
grade." 

"How  many  feet  would  that  be  to  the  mile  ?" 

"About  His  feet,  one  per  cent,  being  52  feel  9  inches." 

"Are  there  many  grades  on  this  line  as  heavy  as  this?" 

"No.  this  is  the  heaviest  on  the  standard  gauge  line  ;  that  over  Tennes- 
see Pass  being  the  next  heaviest,  about  152  feet  to  the  mile  on  its  western 
slope." 

"How  about  the  grades  on  the  narrow  gauge  lines?" 

"They  are  very  much  heavier,  those  over  La  Veta  Pass,  Marshall  Pass 
and  the  Cumbrea  range  being  four  per  cent,  or  211  feet  to  the  mile,  and  on 
a  short  branch  to  the  Calumet  iron  mine,  the  grade  is  409  feet,  the 
heaviest  grade  in  the  world  operated  by  a  traction  engine." 

"Are  not  such  grades  productive  of  danger?" 

"Not  at  all.  Every  train  is  supplied  with  all  the  latest  inventions  to 
secure  safety,  including  automatic  air  brake,  also  water  and  hand  brakes, 
and  the  best  proof  is  that  there  has  never  been  an  accident  to  passenger 
trains  on  account  of  grades  in  the  entire  history  of  the  road.  Due  credit 
for  this  state  of  affairs  should  he  given  to  the  careful  management  of  the 
road,  who  never  allow  an  engineer  to  drive  a  passenger  engine  until  he  has 
had  a  most  thorough  and  exhaustive  education  in  mountain  train  ser- 
vice. Observe  how  our  engineers  handle  this  train,  no  jerking,  every- 
thing smooth  and  quiet,  and  so  skilled  are  they  that  we  take  a  curve  at 
the  rate  of  forty  miles  an  hour  and  scarcely  notice  it." 

"I  have  particularly  noticed  that,"  said  the  Major,  "and  also  the 
extreme  smoothness  of  the  track."  * 

"And  I."  remarked  Sir  John,  "have  been  much  surprised  at  the  >nl>- 
fitantial  construction  of  the  roadbed,  track  and  bridges;  it  remind-  me 
more  of  our  English  roads  in  that  respect  than  any  1  have  seen." 

The  train  was  now  passing  through  the  suburbs  of  Leadville,  and  the 
Colonel  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  since  leaving  Pueblo  they  had 
been  steadily  ascending  and  now  were  5,580  feet,  or  more  than  a  mile, 
higher  than  they  were  at   lunch  time. 

The  train  stopped  at  Leadville  station  and  the  gentlemen  took  car- 
riages for  the  Vendome  Hotel. 


CHAPTER  V/. 

THE  JUDGE  TELLS  OF  THE  HEALTH  RESORTS,  HUNTING 
AND  FISHING  GROUNDS. 


STOPOVI^S  mt  ALLOWS 

©ki  all  rnmvm  

FTER  a  good  dinner  at  the  hotel  the  party  took  a 
stroll  through  the  city,  curiosity  concerning  which 
being  greatly  excited  in  the  minds  of  Sir  John  and 
the  Major.  The  fact  that  it  was  the  great  silver 
camp  of  the  world,  and  that  a  city  of  15,000  people 
with  metropolitan  advantages  had  been  built  at  the 
unprecedented  altitude  of  10,200  feet  above  the  sea,  filled  them  with  pro- 
found astonishment.  The  life  and  bustle  on  the  streets,  the  unfamiliar 
figures  of  the  miners,  the  talk  of  veins,  fissures,  lodes,  carbonates,  por- 
phyry, dykes,  the  excitement  over  new  gold  discoveries,  all  interested  and 
entertained  them  greatly. 

"I  have  heard  a  great  deal  about  the  difficulty  experienced  in  breath- 
ing at  this  extreme  altitude,"  remarked  Sir  John,  as  they  entered  the 
hotel  after  their  walk,  "but  I  must  say  I  find  myself  very  little  affected." 
" These  matters  are  greatly  exaggerated,"  replied  the  Colonel.  "The 
fact  is  that  such  troubles  are  the  exception  and  not  the  rule ;  it  is  by  far 
the  minority  who  feel  the  effect  of  the  altitude  to  any  extent,  except  after 
violent  exertion,  and  all  persons,  unless  troubled  with  heart  affections, 
soon  become  acclimated  and  do  not  notice  it." 

After  their  exercise  the  gentlemen  found  comfortable  accommodations 
for  the  night  at  their  hotel,  and  retired  with  the  understanding  that  they 
would  catch  the  early  train  west  out  of  Leadville  in  the  morning,  and 
take  their  breakfast  at  Minturn. 

As  the  bright  sun  rose  above  the  mountains,  the  gentlemen  boarded  the 
train  and  resumed  their  journey  westward.  The  scene  was  one  of  grand- 
eur and  was  greeted  with  many  expressions  of  delight.    Leadville  lay 


57 

cradled  among  tremendous  mountains,  captained  by  Mount  Massive,  that 
tow.  red  above  her,  and  the  sunlight  transformed  their  silver  crowns  oi 
snow  into  diadems  of  shining  gold,  as  if  symboling  the  transformation 
of  the  famed  silver  camp  into  what  is  bound  to  become  an  equally  famed 
gold  producer.  The  Colonel  pointed  out  many  of  the  famous  mines  which 
dotted  the  hillsides  on  every  hand,  as  the  train  sped  rapidly  on  its  west- 
ward way.  Soon  the  ascent  of  Tennessee  Pass  (the  Continental  Divide) 
was  achieved  and  the  tunnel  threaded  at  an  altitude  of  more  than  10,000 
feet  above  the  sea.  Descending  the  Pacific  Slope,  through  a  beautiful 
valley,  the  Colonel  called  attention  to  the  range  of  mountains  to  the 
right,  as  containing  the  famed  Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross.  The  train  r<  iHled 
between  the  red  walls  of  a  picturesque  canon  into  the  town  of  Red  Cliff 

"This,"  said  the  Colonel,  ''is  a  thriving  mining  town,  and  if  you 
would  like  to  see  some  of  the  mines,  I  would  suggest  that  we  adjourn  to 
the  rear  platform  of  the  car." 

The  suggestion  was  adopted,  and  the  Colonel  pointed  out  the  shaft 
houses  of  mines  on  Battle  Mountain,  perched  like  eagles'  nests  on  the 
very  verge  of  the  cliffs,  and  the  mining  camp  of  Gilman,  seemingly 
tipped  ready  to  topple  over  upon  them  as  they  passed. 

"  What  canon  is  this?"  asked  the  Major,  as  the  train  dashed  on  under 
it  and  out  of  view  between  butting  cliffs. 

"This  is  Eagle  River  Canon,  the  walls  of  which  are  fully  1,000  feet 
from  the  level  of  the  track,  and  some  of  the  greatest  silver  mines  of  tin- 
state  are  under  those  rough  looking  buildings  that  we  have  seen  hanging 

on  the  cliffs." 

"  This  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  interesting  scenes  I 
have  ever  witnessed,"  exclaimed  Sir  John  "Not  so  grand,  perhaps,  as 
the  Royal  Gorge,  but  surely  worth  a  journey  especially  to  see." 

Retiring  to  the  smoking  compartment  the  gentlemen  made  their  pre- 
parations for  breakfast,  and  by  the  time  they  were  ready  the  train 
pulled  into  Mmturn.  The  party  entered  the  eating  station  and  were  soon 
enjoying  a  most  appetizing  meal,  a  special  feature  of  which  was  a  boun- 
tiful supply  of  most  delicious  mountain  trout  Returning  t«>  the  train. 
Sir  John,  who.  like  most  English  gentlemen,  was  an  anient  sportsman, 
turned  eagerly  to  the  Judge  with  the  remark,  ••!  enjoyed  those  trout 
very  much.     Has  Colorado  a  good  supply  of  fish  and  game'.-'" 

"It  is  the  sportsman's  paradise,"  replied  the  Judge,  with  much  enthu- 
siasm. "The  forests,  which  cover  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  state,  .ire 
the  natural  covert  for  elk.  deer,  antelope,  the  Rocky  Mountain  sheep,  MB 
well  as  a  variety  of  smaller  game,  while  the  streams  and  lake-,  in  count- 
less number,  are  teeming  with  mountain  trout.  thOBS  BpeoMed  beauties 
that  so  delight  the  heart  of  the  experienced  Nimrod.  wliile  the  more 
common  varieties  of  fish  ply  the  waters  in  ample  swarms." 


©    o    •    •     o     o    • 


OUT  P@©K'S  BOTH 

.  §pi  mm .  **©  Wi  tow 


ig***, 


-  - _    i  ■■  Are trout  esped- 

Rtf*"7         "       ally  abundant'.'" 

••  ^  ee,  indeed  :  there  are 

'■"  ~    •■. i  miles  of  the  finest  kind 

of  trout  streams,  and  the 
supply  is  practically  inex- 
haustible. There  are  nearly  500  lakes  which  are  alive  with  Bah  and  water 
fowls.  Trout  fishing  is  almost  the  universal  pastime,  because  of  the 
great  abundance  of  the  opportunities,  the  ease  of  access  to  lak< 
streams,  and  the  comfort  with  which  this  delightful  spurt  can  be  pur- 
sued." 

"How  about  large  game?" 

"The  great  parks  and  valleys,  forests,  streams  and  lakes  ol   Routt, 
Grand  and  Garfield  counties  arc  the  favored  region  for  elk,  deer,  antelope, 
rabbits,  duck,  geese,  prairie  chickens,  grouse,  quail,  and  other  \ari.  i: 
game,  including  the  wolf,  mountain  lion  and  bear." 

••  Is  your  game  protected  ?" 

"Certainly.  We  have  stringent  game  laws.  The  laws  permit 
killing  of  game  birds  from  August  L5th  to  November  1st,  water  fowl  from 
September  1st  toMay  1st.  Deer  and  elk  may  be  killed  from  August  1st 
to  November  1st.  The  killing  of  buffalo  and  mountain  sheep  is  prohibited. 
It  is  lawful  to  take  fish  with  hook  and  line  from  June  1st  to  December 
1st.    Netting  and  explosives  arc  prohibited." 

The  train  was  now  speeding  along  down  the  valley  of  ii  Liver, 

which  was  dotted  here  and  there  with  the  comfortable  homes  of  fai 
showing  that  agriculture  had  here  an  established  footing.  Soon  the  Bcene 
changed,  the  further  bank  of  the  stream  gloomed  darkly  with  the  black- 
ened scoria  of  some  extinct  volcano.  Exclamations  of  surprise  from  the 
Major  and  Sir  John  greeted  this  phenomenon,  and  their  wonder  wasexcited 
greatly  at  beholding  the  ban-en  rock-field  which  Bwepl  awaj  from  the 
river  up  to  the  distant  foothills. 

••I  see  ii..  sign  of  a  volcano."  said  the  Major;  "how  do  you  account  for 

this  lava  deposit?" 

"It  is  a  strange  fact,"  replied  the  Colonel,  "thai  the  foothillsshi 
signs  whatever  of  volcanic  action,  ye1  beyond  them  there  is  an  extinct 
volcano,  which,  no  doubt,  is  the  source  from  which  all  this  lava  originally 


60 

came.  But  we  are  approaching  the  Canon  of  the  Grand  River ;  let  us 
take  our  post  of  observation  on  the  rear  platform,  for,  I  assure  you,  the 
sight  is  one  of  a  lifetime."  v 

The  gentlemen  quickly  complied  with  the  Colonel's  request,  and 
the  train  was  soon  whirling  through  one  of  the  most  wonderful 
canons  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  As  compared  with  the  Royal  Gorge, 
there  is  more  of  variety  and  less  of  that  stupendous,  awe-inspiring  grand- 
eur which  overwhelms  the  beholder.  Here  are  weird  forms  of  rock, 
suggestions  of  pyramids,  towers,  turrets,  even  statues  of  wind-carved, 
water-worn  and  earthquake-riven  stone.  Spires  and  pinnacles  climb 
towards  the  sky  on  each  hand,  and  towering  walls  of  living  rock  seem  to 
bar  the  way,  but  a  quick  curve  avoids  these  apparent  barriers,  and  the 
train  swings  into  and  through  a  long  tunnel  and  stops  at  Glenwood 
Springs. 

"  This  place,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  is  one  of  the  most  noted  watering 
places  in  the  West.  In  some  respects  it  is  unsurpassed  in  the  world.  The 
famous  hot  springs,  the  great  swimming  pool  and  the  unique  cave  baths 
are  unequalled  anywhere." 

"  In  what  way  is  the  pool  you  speak  of  peculiar  ?  "  asked  Sir  John. 

"First,  in  size;  it  covers  more  than  an  acre  of  ground,  and  is  three 
and  one-half  to  six  and  one-half  feet  deep.  Second,  in  temperature ;  the 
hot  water  pours  in  from  the  spring  at  a  temperature  of  120  degrees  Fahr- 
enheit, at  the  rate  of  2,000  gallons  per  minute.  In  this  pool  you  can  bathe 
out-doors  both  summer  and  winter." 

"Are  there  any  other  bathing  facilities?" 

"Yes,  an  elegant  bath  house  which  has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  over 
§100,000.  Its  walls  are  of  the  beautiful  peach-blow  sandstone,  and  its 
interior  arrangements  are  the  handsomest  and  most  complete  that  money 
can  buy  or  taste  devise." 

"Such  accommodations  indicate  that  a  great  many  pleasure  seekers 
and  invalids  visit  Glenwood  Springs." 

"  It  has  become  a  very  popular  pleasure  resort  and  sanitarium." 

"  I  suppose  this  explains  the  existence  of  that  magnificent  hotel  yon- 
der," remarked  Sir  John. 

"Yes,  so  great  was  the  demand  that '  The  Colorado,'  a  hotel  containing 
two  hundred  guest-rooms  and  built  of  peach-blow  stone  and  Roman  brick 
at  an  expense  of  $350,000,  had  to  be  built.  Its  dimensions  are  224  feet  front 
and  260  feet  front  to  rear.  The  hotel  is  built  around  three  sides  of  a  large 
court  124  feet  square.  This  court  is  terraced  and  is  adorned  with  paths, 
grass-plats  and  beds  of  flowers.  The  accommodations  and  furnishings  are 
unsurpassed  by  any  hotel  of  a  similar  character  in  the  country.  The 
town  of  Glenwood  Springs  is  attractive,  beautifully  situated  and 
thriving. " 


I 


<6AK 


;5W* 


*•<  lolora 

■  iii fhI  in  1 1 1 i ii- 
eral  spring 

■•  Y  es,    it     ii  a  a 
in < . r •■  than   any 
other  state  in  the 
Union.    There  are  eighteen  resorts  in 
the  state  I hal  are  fnlly  developed 
sessing  medicinal  springs  and  supplied 
with  hotel  accommodations.     Fourteen  of  these 
are  h<>r  spring  resorts.     Bach  of  these  phv 
fortunate  in  the  possession  of  from  five  to  one 
hundred  springs,   varying  among  themselves   as    to  tlpir 
medicinal  qualities  and  of  differenl  degrees  of  temperatnre, 
no  two  springs  being  alike.     In  addition  to  these  there  are 
myriads  of  springs  all  through  the  mountains  thai  p 
the  highest  medicinal   qualities   which,  as  the  population 
of  this  state  increases,   will   be  developed  and  add  their 
healing  influences  to  the  sum  of  Colorado's  health-giving 
appliances.    The  mineral  springs  of  Colorado  are  equal  in 
all  respects,  and  superior  in  many,  to  the  famou    watering 
places  of  the  Old  World." 

The  train  pulled  out  of  tli  ■  Btation,  and  a  section  of  it 
was  switched  on  another  track  and  a  locomotive  attached. 
••  What  is  the  reason  of  this?"  asked  the  Major. 
"That  is  the  Aspen  section,"  replied  the  ( lolonel. 
"  Aspen  is  a  mining  town,  is  it  not?" 

" One  of  the  mosl  prosperous  in  the  state.  It  is  situated  most  advan- 
tageously for  business  and  is  surrounded  by  many  of  the  richest  mines  in 
Colorado.  It  is  second  only  to  Leadville  in  the  out-put  of  it-  mines.  [1 
also  has  its  own   smelter,   and  in  addition  is  a  most  delightful   phv 

residence." 

The  train  followed  the  com—  of  the  Grand  River  through  a  rich  valley 
and  amidst  the  most  entrancing  scenery.  <  ta  one  hand  the  hills  rolled  up 
from  the  river  side,  while  on  the  other  the  broad  valley  extended  back  to 
the  Great  Book  Cliffs,  which  walled  it  in  with  rampart- of  vari-colored 
rocks  carved  into  manifold  forms  by  the  action  of  the  elements. 

"Truly  the  scenery  of  Colorado  presents  great  variety,"  said  sir  John. 

"Themost  varied,  1  believe,  in  the  world."  replied  theColon<  I. 
mood  finds  here  some  scene  that  touch.-,  a  ,-•  chord. 

mountains  Nature  asserts  herself  in  ecstacy,  rising  to  the  highest  expres- 
sions of  grandeur  and  sublimity.     In  the  foothills  and  by  the  spai 
rivers,  quiet  beauty  reigns  supreme,  while  on  the  plains,  the 


62 

the  sea  is  vividly  suggested  and  in  the  valleys  the  calm  content  of  peaceful 
prosperity  broods  like  a  benediction." 

"Amen,"  said  the  Judge. 

"  I  am  an  enthusiast  on  this  subject,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  It  behooves 
us  to  show  the  world  what  we  possess.  The  Via  Mala  cannot  compare 
with  the  Royal  Gorge.  The  hundred  peaks  of  the  Rockies,  each  exceeding 
14,000  feet  in  height,  more  than  compensate  for  the  grandeur  of  Mount 
Blanc,  the  beauty  of  Monte  Rosa  or  the  splendor  of  the  Jungfrau  !  No, 
we  need  not  fear  comparison  with  Europe.  One  can  ride  over  the  lines  of 
the  'D.  &  R.  G.  Railroad'  for  1,850  miles  within  the  State  of  Colorado  and 
never  once  be  out  of  sight  of  mountain  peaks,  and  during  that  time  pass 
over  a  dozen  ranges  where  the  track  attains  an  altitude  of  from  eight  to 
eleven  thousand  feet  above  the  sea." 

The  Colonel's  eloquence  was  interrupted  by  the  slowing  of  the  train, 
and  the  porter  announced — 

"  Grand  Junction ;  time  for  dinner,  gentlemen." 

The  party  disembarked  and  all  went  in  and  enjoyed  an  excellent  dinner. 

During  the  meal  the  Major  and  Sir  John  expressed  themselves  as  so 
charmed  and  impressed  with  their  trip  throiigh  Colorado  that  they  had 
fully  determined  to  return  and  make  more  extended  investigations. 

The  Colonel  and  the  Judge  had  reached  the  end  of  their  journey,  but 
the  Major  and  Sir  John  were  to  remain  the  occupants  of  the  car  until  its 
arrival  at  San  Francisco. 

As  Grand  Junction  was  the  last  place  of  importance  in  the  state,  Sir 
John  requested  of  the  Judge  that  he  tell  him  something  of  the  town  before 
they  separated,  and  the  Judge  explained  that  Grand  Junction  was  one  of 
the  most  thriving  towns  of  the  western  slope  ;  the  commercial  center  of  a 
vast  agricultural  and  horticultural  region  destined  to  rival  California,  or 
in  fact  any  locality  on  the  continent,  in  its  fruit-growing  industry;  of  its 
location  contiguous  to  the  great  coal  fields :  of  its  many  advantages  for  the 
location  of  manufactories,  and  of  its  prospects  of  one  day  being  a  great 
manufacturing  point,  and  last,  but  not  least,  of  the  enterprise  and  push  of 
its  citizens. 

"  Then  it  is  no  exception  to  the  rule,"  remarked  Sir  John,  as  the  Judge 
ceased  speaking. 

"In  what  respect?" 

"Enterprise  and  push  !  I  have  seen  no  evidence  of  anything  else  since 
I  came  into  the  state,  and  with  such  people,  and  such  resources,  the  possi- 
bilities of  Colorado  can  not  be  contemplated." 

The  Rio  Grande  Western  Railway,  the  continuing  link  in  this  great 
railroad  system,  lay  before  them  with  its  many  scenic  attractions,  which 
would  add  variety  to  the  sum  of  their  experiences  and  give  them  last- 
ing impressions  of  Utah  and  the  mountains,  valleys  and  rivers  that  lay 


63 


BYH,6gMTriLiMEWf 

wiry,  umum  si 


between  Grand 
Junction  and  Bali 
Lake,  the  famous 
City  of  tin- Saints.  And  let  ua  hope 
that  they  may  be  so  fortunate  as 
to  meet  on  their  journey,  companions  as  well  versed  upon  the  vast 
mineral  and  agricultural  resources  of  Utah,  as  were  those  left  behind, 
in  regard  to  Colorado. 

As  the  party  came  from  the  dining  station  the  conductor  called  :  "All 
aboard!"  and  with  mutual  expressions  of  esteem  and  of  regret  at  parting, 
the  Major  and  Sir  John  shook  hands  with  the  Judge  and  the  Colonel, 
and  stepped  on  to  the  rear  platform  of  the  sleeper  as  it  slowly  continued 
its  journey  westward. 

"Good-bye,  gentlemen,"  exclaimed  Sir  John,  who  spoke  for  himself  and 
the  Major  ;  "  we'll  return  soon." 


.WFlEflEffmL 


Brown  Palace  Hotel,  Denver,  March  2, 1899. 
M Aim:  George  II.  Preston, 
My  Dear  Major 

[t  is  with  genuine  delight  that  I  learn  from  your  recent  letter  that 
you  are  about  to  return  to  Colorado  to  remain  permanently  in  this  delight 
ful  region.  The  interest  you  speak  of,  as  being  evinced  in  Europe,  as  to 
the  development  of  the  resources  of  Colorado  is  qoI  a  surprise  to  well 
informed  people  of  this  state.  Wehaveknown  for  some  time  that  the 
advantages  of  Colorado  investments  are  being  better  appreciated  everj 
year  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean.  During  the  past  year  several  large 
blocks  of  foreign  capital  ha \  <•  been  invested  in  mines,  cattle,  manufactur- 
ing and  commercial  interests  of  Colorado,  and  if  reports  are  to  be  en 
the  movement  will  be  stronger  this  year  than  ever  before. 


64 

It  is  again  a  pleasure  to  me  to  give  you  the  results  of  another  year's 
industrial  progress  in  Colorado.  "  The  Silver  State  "  is  now  justly  entitled 
to  the  name  of  "The  Golden  State,"  as  its  product  of  gold  for  1898 
exceeded  that  of  every  other  state  in  the  Union,  including  California. 
The  yield  was  upward  of  826,000,000,  as  against  .$19,500,000  for  1897. 
About  615,000,000  of  this  total  is  credited  to  the  wonderful  new  field  of 
Cripple  Creek,  which  in  the  short  space  of  seven  years  has  achieved  a 
distinction  second  only  to  that  of  the  Witwatersrand.  While  this  camp 
is  now  attracting  the  world's  attention,  there  are  many  new  gold  districts 
which  promise  in  the  future  to  share  its  fame.  Among  these  are  the 
"  Silver  San  Juan,"  now  a  marvelous  gold  belt,  the  Gunnison  district,  the 
La  1'lata  country,  the  Leadville  gold  belt,  the  Halm's  Peak  district  and 
many  others. 

The  silver  industry  remains  about  the  same  as  in  1897,  the  value  of  the 
white  metal  produced  being  815,948,851.  The  lead  product  amounted  to 
$3,686,000,  and  that  of  copper  $1,304,000.  The  iron  interest  showed  firm- 
ness throughout  the  year.  The  coal  industry  shows  a  total  output  of 
4,000,000  tons  with  over  300,000  tons  of  coke. 

The  fruit  industry  has  made  great  strides  in  1897,  the  value  of  the 
year's  crop  being  estimated  by  the  State  Board  of  Iloriculture  at  over 
84,000,000.  The  acreage  in  orchards  is  now  put  at  125,000,  the  greatest 
increase  being  on  the  western  slope.  The  live-stock  industry  is  rapidly 
developing  in  importance,  the  estimated  value  of  the  cattle,  sheep  and 
hogs  in  Colorado  now  being  $25,000,000. 

There  has  been  a  large  inflow  of  population  in  recent  months,  the 
largest  numbers  being  attracted  by  the  wonderful  gold  discoveries.  But 
the  homeseekers  are  coming  in  rapidly,  and  the  pronounced  mining 
movement  will  make  a  very  profitable  market  for  the  products  of  orchard 
and  farm  in  this  and  future  years. 

The  banks  of  Denver  show  $28,000,000  in  deposits,  which  is  a  heavy 
increase  over  a  year  ago.  The  real  estate  market  is  firm,  with  frequent 
sales  of  residences.  Money  for  loans  is  in  fair  supply  at  lower  rates  than 
a  year  ago,  and  rents,  as  a  rule,  are  strengthening  all  over  the  city.  The 
clearings  for  the  year  show  a  decided  gain  over  those  of  1896,  and  the  city 
has  gained  at  least  5,000  in  population,  which isnow  175,000.  The  Denver 
factories  are  busy,  the  value  of  products  for  1897  (including  smelting) 
being  si; l.ooo.oi io,  giving  employment  to  18,000  persons,  showing  a  satis- 
factory increase  over  1897. 

Taking  all  in  all  the  condition  of  the  state  was  never  stronger,  nor  its 
future  prosperity  ever  so  promising. 

With  the  hearty  well  wishes  of  Mrs.  Stark  and  myself, 

Yours  very  truly, 

Amos  Stark. 


0    J 


IFH 


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